Those Who Loved
by ThymeWaster
Summary: Marriage is a beautiful thing. But when it's between two people who don't know each other, can it ever become beautiful? OCXKakashi
1. Destiny's Match

I wrote this for my friend Grace. She loves this kind of romantic fluff. I don't even really like the show, (Hey, she's never seen it...) but I love the character of Kakashi. I figured I'd mess with him.

I have NO idea when in the timeline this story would take place. Put it wherever your imagination wills it to be.

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. Thank God.

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Chapter One

Destiny's Match

Natsko stared blankly at the matchmaker. She only saw a large woman, outlined in a blue light. She couldn't see the room with it's elaborate screens and low table, and she couldn't see the three stairs in front of her that were sure to be a problem. All she could see was the blue outline of a large woman, standing menacingly in front of her and in her way.

Natsko was born blind. She had never seen colors other than that vibrant blue that outlined every human she came in contact with. Even though she could not see anything else, she could see the chakra of the people she came in contact with. This made it hard for the observer to notice her blindness; she could stare you right in the face, but walk straight into a wall.

"Well, you look a little old to be looking for a match." The woman said in a gruff, abrasive voice. "Did your father not want to give you away yet? Still hooked into the 'Daddy's little girl' belief?" She started walking into the house, ignoring Natsko's confused look.

"Um…" She said quietly, hoping that she wasn't intruding too much.

The woman whipped around suddenly, and addressed her in a low growl. "What?"

"I…" She hesitated.

"Yes?"

"I… Don't know how to follow you!" Natsko blurted suddenly, as if she needed to get it all out in one breath.

"What do you mean girl?" The matchmaker growled at her again.

"I can't see the way." She said, a little bit more confidently. "I'm blind."

The matchmaker stepped down towards her and roughly grabbed her arm. "That will be a hindrance, I don't have a man in my list that wants a girl who can't see her own two feet."

Natsko began to correct her, but thought better of it and just followed her quietly into the house.

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Iruka sat down at the small kitchen table and sighed. His friend's house was a mess. There were books stacked everywhere, and several pots were still on the stove, caked with an unknown substance that, judging by the color, had been there for at least a week.

"You know Kakashi, your place is becoming unbearable." He moved several stacks of books and put his feet up on the table.

"You don't help." Kakashi sat down across from him and moved another stack of books to the floor. Iruka laughed. He had been spending a lot of time at Kakashi's. He was still trying to get over losing his three favorite students and he always hoped that Kakashi would ask him for help one of these days, even if he was just Chunin.

"Well, you don't stop me." Iruka was never good at comebacks.

Kakashi picked up one of the books off the floor and began reading. He didn't ever want to admit it, but he enjoyed company. He buried his nose in the book, hoping to hide the fact that he was actually interested in what the young Chunin had to say.

"Hey, I know what would cheer this place up!" Iruka took his feet off the table and stood up quickly. "You should hire a maid!"

Kakashi looked up at him and grinned slyly. "Where do you think I have the money for a maid?" He looked up at him from over the top of his book, waiting for the suggestion that always came.

"Well then get married!" There it was. "I've been telling you this for a month now, you are stuck her all alone, you just train those kids and read. It's not right for you to be living alone in this…" Iruka looked around the apartment, not wanting to call it a mess, but not knowing what else to say. "…Place." He ended lamely.

"Simply put, I don't have the time to devote to marriage." He gave the same answer he had always given. "With teaching, and missions, I don't want to be tied down to anyone or anything. It's why I rent."

"One interview with the matchmaker. That's all I ask." Iruka pleaded with him.

"Fine. If it will make you happy." Kakashi set down his book and stood. "But I make no promises."

"Fair enough!" Iruka practically jumped with joy, leading Kakashi out by the arm.

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"So, lets get this straight, you can't cook, you can't clean, and you can't go anywhere on your own." The matchmaker sighed. "Some catch you are."

"I can clean, a little, and I'm an ok cook if everything is labeled correctly, and I can go places by myself, I just don't like to." Natsko tried to defend herself. It was hard to get people to see her as anything more than a blind mouse or a helpless little girl.

"Well, lets move on." The woman leaned forward in her seat on the large, overstuffed paisley couch. "What do you want in a man?"

"Well, I haven't thought about it that much." She stared down at her hands, watching her own energy pulse lightly. "I guess I want him to be interesting, I mean, I don't want to be bored when talking to him. Not too old, I guess." The matchmaker nodded; apparently she had heard these things before.

After a minute of silence, Natsko whispered, "Kind. I want him to be kind."

"No specifics? Don't want to ask for a certain height, or income? Most girls want to marry a handsome rich prince of some kind." She seemed disappointed in her.

"Well, I don't care that much about looks, and I don't really expect to get much, I mean… I'm blind, who would want me?"

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"Well sir, I don't usually do interviews this late in the evening. But, I guess I could make an exception." The woman was short, and overweight, and her clothes were garishly out of fashion. Kakashi couldn't believe he was actually doing this.

"Thank you, as long as it's not an inconvenience." He pulled out his book again, but Iruka smacked it out of his hands almost instantly.

"What he means to say is that he is anxious to find a perfect match." He smiled a little to big, and didn't notice Kakashi rolling his eyes at him.

"Excuse me sir," She directed her death-glare at Iruka. "But I wasn't talking to you. I would like to get to know the eligible man, not his friend." She summoned Kakashi into her living room, conveniently closing the door before Iruka could make it through.

"Now, tell me a little bit about yourself." She sat on the large couch and gestured for him to sit in the chair.

He sat and whipped out his book again. Speaking in a bored tone as he read. "Jonin, twenty-six, my friend thinks I need company."

"Now, sir, there is always something more than that. You wouldn't have come if you didn't believe him." She practically sang at him.

"That may be, but I still don't have high hopes for this process." He held the book higher, blocking his face.

"Well then, let's move on. What are you looking for in a wife?"

He lowered the book slightly, and then put it down completely. "To be perfectly honest, I haven't ever really thought that much about it. I guess the first thing would be that she be interesting, and smart, I don't want to be married to some young floozy." He looked away for a minute, and then continued. "I don't want her to be centered on looks. I don't want her to care what I look like, and I certainly don't want her spending hours in front of a mirror each day."

"Any skills you want her to have. Most men desire a good cook, or someone who can clean house."

Kakashi thought for a moment. "Not really. Iruka would be happy if someone cleaned up my apartment, and I could live without that smell coming from under the kitchen sink, but I would rather have a good conversation."

"I see." She wrote something down on a clipboard in her lap. "What about children?"

Kakashi's one visible eye almost popped out of its socket. "You're joking, right?" His voice cracked as he said it.

"Of course not. Many men want children within the first two years; that can be very handy when it comes to choosing a bride for them. If she is too young or too old for bearing children, then most men won't marry her. Likewise, some men want boys, and a woman has to be built right for bearing sons."

He couldn't believe that she was able to say all that with a straight face. This was getting ridiculous. "I don't care if she's barren, blind, or bull-headed! I just want some company, that's all!" He stood and made his way to the door.

"I'll be contacting you within a few days, have a wonderful evening." She said almost mechanically as he walked out of the house, dragging Iruka by the ear.

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The matchmaker stood, and Natsko could tell by the position of her hands that she was holding something long and skinny. "I just have to get your measurements now. I need to know if you are the right size for bearing sons."

The girl turned bright red. It had never occurred to her that children would be involved. She fiddled nervously with her hair. It was chocolate brown, braided low and slung over her left shoulder so that it hung down in front of her.

"I…" she stammered. "I'm not sure if I can have kids."

The matchmaker looked astonished. "Why not? You are a healthy young woman, and except for the blindness I see no reason why you would be unable to bear children."

"Well…" She hesitated again, unsure of how to explain her handicap. "I… I was burned, about four years ago."

"Scars are no reason to not have children."

"Along my upper right thigh." She stared down at her feet, which glowed blue in the darkness.

"Oh, I see." The woman came closer and wrapped her arms around Natsko. "I'll take your measurements anyway, labor might be difficult for you, but I'm not going to put you down as barren just because you think there is a small chance of complication." She was finished measuring in a manner of seconds, and she walked Natsko to the door.

"I'll check over my aspiring men, and get back to you in a few days." She waved as Natsko shuffled her way down the street, following the faint haze of people in the distance.

"Grey hair wouldn't be all that bad," she said aloud, almost reassuringly. "I can't see it anyway."

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The matchmaker watched as Kakashi and Iruka walked down the street. "This will be difficult." She muttered to herself. "It's easier when they have the girl described completely, right down to her eye color."

She walked back into her home and locked the front door behind her. She sat with a cup of tea and her two books. The red book was filled with girl's profiles, the blue one with men's.

She flipped to the last page in the men's book and began filling out Kakashi's information. Her mind wandered over the day's clients, and she curiously flipped to the last page in the girl's book.

There, as if by divine intervention, lay the two profiles. Perfectly matched. She smiled down at the picture of Natsko, and the half-finished profile of Kakashi. "They even look good together!" she exclaimed, clasping her hands together in glee.

She pictured Kakashi in her head, his spiky silver hair sticking up over his ninja headband. It covered half of his face, hiding his left eye from the world. He wore a navy blue mask that covered his mouth, nose and the rest of the left side of his face. In her mind she saw him standing next to the shy little blind girl she had met that afternoon.

"Her hair compliments his so beautifully!" She said quietly to the picture in her head. "And no matter what he is hiding under that mask, she won't care!" She practically danced around the room. It was a rare thing to find a perfect match for someone the same day they came in. It was hard enough to find a perfect match period.

"I'll have them both come in tomorrow!" She told the empty room. Smiling, she closed both books, dumped her tea down the sink, and went to bed with a feeling of complete satisfaction.

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Ok, quick explanation: Natsko was there in the late afternoon, Kakashi in the evening. (Just barely crossing paths.)


	2. A Mother's Dream

I asked a friend to review this story and she told me that Natsko's mother wasn't mean enough for the discription. I was supposed to change either her or the way I talked about her, but over the summer I didn't have the time or the inspiration. I have moved on to later chapters and I thought that these were pretty darn good. Judge for yourself about my random characters.

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. Don't sue me for writing fluffy crap.

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Chapter Two

A Mother's Dream

"I wish you would just go get her." Natsko's father stood in the front doorway waiting impatiently for his daughter to get home. It was quickly growing dark out.

"Why? She needs to learn how to find her way around on her own." Her mother stated plainly from the kitchen. She was a small woman, no taller than Natsko, and not much wider. But the woman had a fierce tone to her voice and a sharp bite to her speech. She never forgave her daughter for being blind.

"I don't disagree with you dear, but even when she was training she was led around by her teammates. I think what you are doing is cruel." Her father was a small man. Not in stature, but in personality. He defended Natsko until her mother became angry, then he would back down and hide in his study.

"She won't have anyone to lead her around once she is married. We can't take care of her forever." She commenced with washing the dinner dishes. She laid a plate of food aside for her missing daughter and scrubbed away what was left of their evening meal.

"I just hope she's ok." He said, slowly backing out of the doorway and walking down the hall to his study.

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"Excuse me…" Natsko whispered at the nearest person. They didn't hear her. She walked straight ahead, one hand in front of her, and found a wall.

"Damn it!" She yelled at the brick. Now someone heard her.

"Excuse me?"

She turned to see a tall figure coming towards her. He placed a hand on the wall over her shoulder and leaned towards her, his face inches from hers. "Are you lost, you pretty thing?"

She looked down at her feet and stroked her braid with her right hand. "A little." She murmured lightly.

"Well then," He stood to his full height. "Maybe I can help." He stuck his hand out towards her and she took it gingerly. He shook, hard. "I'm Iruka."

When he let go, she took her hand back and held it close to herself. "I'm Natsko."

He laughed heartily at her. "Don't be silly, you don't need to be afraid of me! Didn't you see the headband? I'm a ninja!"

"Actually, I didn't see it." She stated simply, looking directly into his face.

He was completely taken aback by this. "But, how could you not?" He scratched his head, seeming more perplexed than he should.

"Simple, I'm blind." She paused, waiting for him to deny it.

"You can see my chakra can't you?" He said, figuring it out fairly fast. She was impressed; normally it took them forever to figure it out.

"Yeah. But I can't see anything else. I need to get home, and I can't figure out where it is." She said, turning pink at the thought of losing her home.

"Well then, we will just have to find it for you." He reached a hand out to lead her and she gladly took it. "Where do you live?"

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The dishes were done, the house was spotless and she was ready to go to bed. One pesky problem was lurking over her head though. Her daughter had still not made it home.

"Where is that girl?" She asked her husband as she began locking the doors. "She should have been home hours ago!"

"I told you we should have gone to look for her." He said, regretting it instantly.

"Well then why didn't you make me do it?! You just stood there letting our baby get kidnapped while I washed dishes!"

He knew this was coming. His wife had a knack for turning things on him. At this point, the only thing that would save him was his daughter's arrival. Lucky for him, there was a light knock on the front door before he had a chance to reply.

"Natsko!" She squealed and ran for the door. On the other side were her daughter and a young man with brown hair and a bright smile. He had a long scar across the bridge of his nose, but he also had a ninja headband, which made any injury a war-wound.

"Oh! My poor baby! I was worried sick about you!" She hugged her daughter tight, all the while staring at the man who stood in her doorway.

"Mom, this is Iruka. He teaches at the academy." Natsko said quickly, hoping to distract her mother from the fact that she was late, again. "He escorted me home."

"Thank you so much, you have no idea how much I owe you!" Her mother was putting on the attitude she used when eligible male were within twenty feet. "My poor baby, all alone on the streets, unable to see a thing! I hate to think of what could have happened to her out there!"

"Your daughter is very intelligent ma'am." Iruka smiled his most charming smile. "I'm sure she would have found her way back here eventually." He bowed slightly. "But I must be going, I have to get home before my own mother begins to worry too much." With that, he turned and disappeared into the night.

She looked at her daughter and smacked her on the back of her head. "Why did you let him leave? He was young, and handsome, and polite! Perfect for you!"

Natsko rubbed her head and walked over to her father. "Thanks for waiting up daddy," she kissed him lightly on the cheek "I can lock up, you go to bed."

"Are you listening to me?!" Her mother turned towards her, hands on her hips. "I told you, that was a perfect opportunity and you let it walk away!"

Natsko smiled up at her mother. She loved her, even if the woman was a nightmare. That was something she would not miss once she was married. "Mom, you already paid the matchmaker. That would be a horrible waste of money, if I went out and found my own husband."

Her mother was the only person Natsko was willing to talk back to. But she always knew when she was taking it too far. Tonight, she was pushing it.

"I don't know what goes through that empty head of yours, but you just don't get it do you?" Her mother shook her head and made her way to the bedroom. "Dinner is on the counter, don't stay up to late." She closed the door behind her and left Natsko to herself.

Natsko counted the steps to the front door, and locked it. Then she turned and counted the steps to the kitchen, grabbing the counter and feeling her way until she found the plate of food. _That will definitely be a pain. _She thought. _I'm going to have to map out a new house. _

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The phone rang. It was eight o'clock on Tuesday morning and the phone was ringing. Kakashi looked up from his newspaper and stared blankly at the phone. No one ever called him. He had only installed the thing for emergencies.

As it continued to ring, he realized that he would need to answer it. With a deep sigh, he put down the paper on top of a stack of books, and leaned over towards the counter, just barely grabbing the phone. He brought it to his ear and gruffly spoke. "Hello…"

"Hello! Is this Kakashi?" The voice was familiar… and perky.

"Yes."

"I have some excellent news for you!" The woman on the other line sang at him. He now remembered, the matchmaker from last night.

"Yes."

"I found you a match!" She practically squealed. He held the phone away from his ear at the noise.

It took a moment for the idea to sink in. He suddenly realized what she had just said. "A match? That fast?"

"Well, normally I don't find matches this fast, but I had just had an interview with her yesterday afternoon, and when I looked over my profiles last night I just thought the two of you would be perfect together." She squealed again.

Kakashi flinched at the sound. "Perfect, huh?" He seriously doubted that she had found him someone.

"She is very sweet, not too young or too old, and she is definitely interesting." She continued. "But there is one thing…" She hesitated.

He expected something was wrong. "What's that?"

"Well, she's… handicapped." She softened it. She knew that could be a deal breaker.

He held the phone closer, interested. "What kind of handicap?"

"Well… why don't you meet her and find out?" This was good, she could hook him into meeting her and then there was no way he would turn her down.

He smiled. He had seen through the whole charade. She was baiting him and he knew it. "Fine, when do you want me to be there?" There was no harm in meeting the girl.

"How does two o'clock tomorrow sound?" The squeal was back.

"Fine. I'll be there." He hung up the phone and picked up his paper again, continuing his morning as if nothing had happened.

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Natsko stood at the sink with a dish in one hand and a wet rag in the other. She was good at washing dishes; she could hear the water and feel the soap. She liked the feel of the warm water on her hands, and the accomplishment she felt when it was all over.

The phone rang on the counter next to her and she almost jumped out of her skin. She had been left home alone that morning, and she never answered the phone. She took a deep breath and then ran her hand along the counter looking for the phone. She found it and answered it, not knowing exactly if she had done it right.

"Hello?"

"Hello Natsko! I didn't think you would answer the phone." The voice was familiar… and perky.

"I'm home by myself, I had to answer it."

"Well, that's wonderful." She seemed disinterested in what Natsko had to say. "Listen, I have some wonderful news for you!"

It was a singing voice, but intimidating enough that Natsko knew who it was now. It was the same woman she had spoken with yesterday, the matchmaker. "Oh?"

"I found you a match!" The woman squealed three octaves higher than her normal voice. Natsko almost dropped the phone.

"Really? That fast?" She was nervous now, she was still getting used to the idea of being married in general.

"Well, normally it takes much longer, but I was flipping through my profile books last night and I just couldn't believe how perfect you two seemed."

"Oh…" She didn't really know what to say.

"I've already contacted him, and I have set up a meeting for the two of you tomorrow at two. Make sure you aren't late, men don't like women who are late." And with that, she hung up.

Natsko put the phone down carefully and felt her way back to the sink. She was almost finished with the dishes when her mom came home.

"You're still working on that?" Her grating voice chimed from the doorway. "Can you do nothing fast?"

Her insults grazed over Natsko, who was still trying to understand the phone call. She put the last plate in the drying rack and walked over to the couch. She sat down slowly, and stared at her hands.

"What's wrong with you? Isn't there something you should be doing?" Her mother walked up behind her and smacked her head again. Natsko wondered if she was blind because of head trauma.

"I got a phone call while you were out." She began.

"I'm amazed you were active enough to answer the phone. I swear you are so lazy sometimes!" Her mother was in a foul mood.

"It was the matchmaker." She watched her mother's outline almost collapse onto the chair across from her. "She says she has a match for me."

"So soon?" She seemed flustered. "But we haven't prepared for this! You don't know what to say to him, I haven't shown you anything that can help you with an interview!" She stood and began pacing the room.

"I meet him tomorrow." Natsko was ready to fuel her mother's fire. "I must have made a good impression if she already has a match for me."

"Or he just isn't picky."

_Probably both. _Natsko thought to herself.

"Well, we just have to get started right now. It will take a lot of work, but you have to make a good impression, and I'm not going to let you go in unprepared." She grabbed her daughter's arms and dragged her into the kitchen.

"Help me make dinner while I get you ready," she began pulling pots and pans out of cupboards. "This is every mother's dream!"

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Read and review please. And if you subscribe to a story alert list, or put it in your favorites, please review and tell me why!


	3. Two O'Clock, Wednesday

Ok, so I know this is like, the fastest engagement in the history of... ever... but I absolutely LOVE the way this story turned out. (I'm almost done writing it. I've got like... three chapters left.) So I'm not going to make any outside excuses for how fast Kakashi and Natsko do ANYTHING.

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, I don't own Kakashi, if you are going to sue me, do it for something worthwhile, not for writing fluff.

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Chapter Three

Two O'Clock, Wednesday

He was late. Natsko was alone with the matchmaker for the second time that week. The woman had offered to describe him for her, but she had politely declined. She didn't want to know if she didn't have to, and it looked like he wasn't going to show.

The door slid, she turned her head towards it and saw the outline of a tall figure. He was lanky and a lot of his energy was directed at his left eye, she hoped that didn't mean he was staring at her.

"Kakashi, welcome! Have a seat." The matchmaker welcomed him into her living room and watched as he sat down across from Natsko. "This is Natsko, Natsko, this is Kakashi."

"Hello." She said politely, looking directly into his eyes. He was immediately confused. She seemed completely normal.

"Nice to meet you." He looked at her with an odd expression, and then realized he was doing so and smiled awkwardly.

The matchmaker laughed quietly and watched as his face portrayed pure confusion. "Forgive my giggles, but you see, Natsko is blind."

Natsko was horrified. She thought that he had been told already, she was sure that he would leave now. What man wanted a helpless blind girl?

"Blind?" He looked at her and it dawned on him. "You've been trained to see chakra haven't you?"

She nodded shyly and played with her braid. "A little. Enough to make out an outline."

"That requires a lot of control. I'm impressed." He leaned back in his chair and settled in for a long conversation. Unfortunately, Natsko wasn't as prepared.

"I… It just happens naturally… But… How do you know about that?"

"Surely she told you I'm a Jonin?" He leaned forward, his faith in this matchmaker growing ever smaller. Natsko watched his head turn slowly to address the woman and his chakra faded slightly. "What exactly _did _you tell her about me?"

"Not much." She spoke quietly, but was horrified with herself for saying something so blunt.

He grinned. The matchmaker had been right about one thing; this girl was interesting.

"You two seem to be getting along wonderfully." The garish woman clapped her hands together and smiled so large that she looked like her eyes were missing. "I'll consider you two engaged now?"

Natsko sat bolt upright and was about to protest, but she was too slow. "I think it would be more appropriate if we got to know each other a little bit first." Kakashi said nervously. _How did I get myself into this? _He thought, quite loudly, to himself.

"There will be plenty of time to get to know each other once you are married. I met my husband and married him within the same week! We lived happily until he died. I don't see why it can't work for you."

Natsko looked over at the figure across from her. Really, she had no say in the matter. If she had been two years younger, her parents would be the ones sitting here talking with the man. But she was nineteen, and she was able to make her own decisions, even if it was really all up to him. If he wanted her then she had to marry him.

Kakashi watched the small girl who sat across from him. He couldn't believe he had been roped into this, and yet it felt right somehow. She was young, but she had an air of life about her; as if she had been through much and knew how life worked. He actually began thinking of her living with him, and imagining coming home to someone each night. It was a good feeling, pleasant. But did she like him?

She looked him up and down; his size was daunting. He wasn't large, or overweight, just tall. Even so, he was not awkward. She had seen so many figures that seemed out of proportion, this one seemed right. He had an air of calm about him too, like nothing could faze him. He seemed so different from her; she was jumpy and nervous all the time. But she found his calm reassuring.

"Well?" The matchmaker piped in after a moment of silence. "Can I call this a successful match or do you want to try again?" She made it sound like a game.

"If…" Natsko began. "If he thinks I'm acceptable, then I'm willing… to call it an engagement." She wanted to smack herself. That was nothing like what her mother had told her to say. She was pretty sure she just blew it.

_She's got an inferiority problem… _Kakashi thought, listening as the girl stumbled over words. _But, what's life without a few chances? _"I guess it's an engagement then."

"That's wonderful!" The matchmaker stood and walked over to Natsko, who stood as well. "I know the two of you will be happy," she hugged Natsko almost unbearably tight. "I have a sense about these things you know. I just love it when I can make a match like this, two lovely young people who have so much potential."

She shook Kakashi's hand and led them both to the door. She put Natsko's hand in his, and smiled at both of them in turn. "It's a match!"

Kakashi looked down at his new bride-to-be. Her hand felt so tiny in his, but it had more calluses than he expected. Obviously this girl had worked hard in her life. That thought comforted him. This poor, helpless blind girl hadn't been so helpless after all.

Natsko looked at her hand, or where she expected her hand to be. What she saw surprised her. The blue outline of Kakashi and the lighter blue of her own hand had connected streams, the lines of his hand connecting with the lines of hers, making the flow of chakra go from him to her and back again. It made her feel stronger somehow.

"Go home and tell your mother Natsko, I'm sure she is dying to know what happened." The words broke into her trance like a knife.

"Oh, right." She let go of Kakashi's hand, the confidence and strength leaving her as she did so. She addressed the matchmaker in a hushed tone, but he couldn't help overhearing. "Could you walk me home? I'm afraid I get lost easily."

Before the matchmaker could reply, Kakashi interrupted. "If it's not to bold, I don't mind. I gave my students the day off, I could take you."

"Why yes, what a lovely chance to get to know one another a little bit better." The woman answered for her. "I'm sure you will be fine." And with that she turned into the house and closed the door behind her.

He held his hand out to her, but she refused to take it. "I can follow you just fine." She said abruptly, surprised by her own coolness.

"Where do you live?" He asked, completely unmoved by her refusal of his hand.

"Down on King Street. My mother will probably be in the doorway." She said jokingly. He laughed a little; it was a warm, full laugh. She decided that she liked it.

"Well then, let's get going, I want to be as far away from that woman as I can, before she marries us right here and now." He began walking, but she could tell he was going slower than his normal pace. She appreciated his thoughtfulness, as her legs were at least six inches shorter than his.

They walked in silence for a while, and when they turned onto King Street it surprised Natsko to hear Kakashi begin talking. He stopped and turned himself to face her, and she stepped back a bit so that she could look up at him.

"If you don't want to do this, I will understand completely. I know this all happened extremely fast, but…" He paused, trying to form the right words. "I know I don't know you, and you don't know me. But to be completely honest, I'm bored. I have lived with the same routine and the same life for quite some time now, and I'm lonely. And I have been thinking, if you are really willing to give this a chance, I think we could be good friends, and that's perfect for me."

She was surprised to hear this from him. He was giving her a chance to back out of this arrangement. But what surprised her most was that he had been thinking about this the entire time they had been walking. All she could think was that she was engaged. He gently slipped his hand into hers, and she felt that link once again. A new surge of confidence and assurance filled her.

"I think… I think I am ready to be married. And I think that you are a good, kind-hearted man, who I might just be able to live with." She smiled a little and took his other hand.

"Is that a yes?" He inquired bluntly.

"I think it is." She grinned. By holding both of his hands she felt an even greater confidence. To her, that alone was reason enough to spend the rest of her life with him.

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Woah, there wasn't a single break in that whole chapter. Don't expect that to EVER happen again in this story. I'm sorry, it's just the way I write.

Read and Review please! Natsko will be very happy. ALSO:

SHAMELESS ADVERTIZING:

Please read my OC Advice Panel, I need questions for my poor lonely OC's! Natsko is there, and as long as it isn't a plot spoiler, she will answer questions about this story!


	4. Preparing for a Wedding

Let me just say: This is probably the longest chapter you will ever see me write, ever. No kidding. There is one that MAYBE rivals it towards the end of this story, but this one was ten pages long on Word. It is a fluke. Don't expect it to happen again... ever...

Disclaimer: Hehehe, Oh joy. Why do I even have to say it? I don't own Naruto, and I don't want to!

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Chapter Four

Preparing for a Wedding

Just as she had predicted, Natsko's mother was standing in the front doorway. As soon as she spotted the outline, Natsko excused herself from Kakashi's presence. She wasn't sure he was ready to meet her mother yet.

As she walked determinedly towards her house, her mind raced with what to tell her parents. She had no ring, and no proof that anything had happened at all. Except for that feeling which still lingered in her hands.

When she finally reached her own house she was still unprepared for her mother's questioning. One word from her mother was enough to kill that feeling of confidence that had filled her so recently. "Well?"

"He…" She stumbled. "I… It's a match." She used the same words she had heard from the matchmaker, hoping it was the right thing to say.

"You mean… He said yes?" Her mother's voice was softer than she had ever heard it before. It was so quiet and unbelieving.

"Yes. I'm engaged." There, she said it. Now maybe she would feel a little better about it. Maybe the rock that had settled in the pit of her stomach would lighten. It didn't.

"Well, what's he like? Tell me!" There was that old voice again, rough and intimidating. "I can't believe you are engaged so quickly! Tell me, what is he like?"

Natsko could only think of one word, and she knew it wouldn't be enough. "Tall." And so began the barrage of questioning.

"Is he young?"

"Not much older than me, I think mid twenties."

"What does he do for a living?"

"He's a Jonin."

Her mother gasped. "My daughter, married to a Jonin! Oh what will the women in town think of that?"

"Don't you want to know his name mama?" She said quietly.

"Oh, yes, what is it?" She had lost interest in her daughter; she was already planning whom she would tell first.

"Kakashi." The name flickered in the air around her and she remembered his voice. He had said that he was lonely, and that all he wanted was a good friend. She could be that.

"_The_ Kakashi? The ninja who copied a thousand Jutsu? That Kakashi?" Her mother's voice cut through her dreaming.

"I suppose so. I didn't ask." She wondered how her mother could know more about him than she did.

"He is a well respected ninja, this is an amazing match for you. You should be more excited." Her mother's voice turned slightly, she sounded almost devious. "This will boost our position in society by tenfold. The Hokagae is sure to be at the wedding, we should start planning."

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"How did I get myself into this?" Kakashi thought aloud as he walked home. "This is completely ridiculous!" As he walked he tried to convince himself to go back and end it.

But something kept him from it. He told himself it was too fast, that neither she nor he was ready for marriage that soon, but it didn't add up in his head. Something kept him from turning back and changing the arrangement.

"Hey! Kakashi-Sensei!" Kakashi flinched; he didn't have time for this.

He turned and saw all three of them, squad seven, waving at him from a shop window. They looked as if life never threw them curve balls. Of course he knew that wasn't true, he had been training them for several months now and he knew how strong they could be.

Sakura with her amazing control over her chakra; Sasuke and his amazing bloodline and skills; and Naruto with his amazing… ambition. They were a truly unique team. He was always amazed at their ability to think for themselves.

He sighed. _I suppose I need to acknowledge them… _"Hey guys." He said half-heartedly in their direction.

"Kakashi-Sensei!" Sakura came running over to him and stopped inches away. "Sasuke says he saw you last night, but he won't tell us what you were doing. Where were you?" She clasped her hands together and smiled her cutest smile. Her light pink hair shifted around her face, giving the appearance of movement.

"I don't really want to say." He told them in his best monotone.

By now Naruto and Sasuke had caught up to her and were listening eagerly. "Please Sensei! If Sasuke knows, why can't we?" Naruto's voice was grating on his every nerve. But by now he was used to the short, blond idiot and his orange jumpsuit.

"How can you tell that Sasuke knows something? Maybe he's just tricking you."

"Why would he tell us that he saw you to trick us? What could he gain from that?" Sakura, ever the bright one, pointed out.

_Damn it. That girl is too smart. _Kakashi thought to himself. "Fine, Sasuke, tell them what you saw." He waited for the answer.

The boy stepped forward. He ran his fingers through his black hair and began. "I just saw him coming out of the matchmaker's house last night. He was dragging Iruka-Sensei behind him."

Sakura's eyes lit up. She was ever the romantic. "Oh! Is Iruka-Sensei getting married? How sweet!"

"No, Sakura…" He thought about letting Iruka take the fall, but it was too cruel. "… I am."

The three jaws dropped. The faces would have made him laugh if it hadn't been so serious. Sasuke even showed emotion for once, his shock was priceless.

"But… but why?" Naruto asked once he had scooped himself up off the ground.

It was a good question… that Kakashi didn't know the answer to. He thought about it for a minute. It wasn't because of Iruka; he had made the choice himself. It wasn't because he was lonely, like he kept telling himself; he could get a dog if that were the case.

He remembered the girl's face in his mind, Natsko. There was something generally intriguing about her. She held mysteries that he wanted to discover and everything about her told him that she needed someone. That was it, he wanted to be needed.

"I guess I just wanted a change in my life." He told the students. He looked at Sakura and realized that she could help him. "I need to ask for your help actually."

"What for Sensei?" She asked innocently.

"I'm not exactly sure how this whole marriage, engagement thing works. Maybe you could help me with some of the details." He couldn't believe he was asking a twelve-year-old for advice on weddings, but he knew that it was probably the only way he was going to learn enough in time.

"Really? Sure!" She seemed excited, and she began running through a detailed description of customs and ceremonies. Yet again, Kakashi wondered what he was getting himself into.

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By the time Saturday came, Natsko couldn't believe how many things had to be arranged for a marriage. Her mother had become even more of a dictator, and she didn't know how much more she could take. What did she care if her Kimono was colored or white? She couldn't see it anyway.

"It would be so much easier if the man would involve himself. You don't help one bit! You are so lazy and ungrateful for all the work I do. I can't believe you expect me to plan this whole thing myself! Who ever heard of a bride who didn't care about her own wedding?" This was just a fraction of her rants that were aimed at Natsko. There were also the ones aimed at restaurant owners, flower arrangers, priests, and anyone else who was even remotely involved in the wedding.

"Mama, I'm going to go sit out front." Natsko called as she walked out the front door. She took three steps to her left and slid down the front wall of her house, sitting cross-legged on the small porch. She watched the outlined figures walk by in the darkness, comparing each one to the last.

The last one she expected to see was a familiarly tall figure, walking at a considerably faster pace than the last time she had seen him. "Kakashi?" She asked as he walked past her.

He stopped abruptly and turned towards her. "Natsko! I've wanted to talk to you. Do you mind if I sit?" She shook her head and he imitated her in sitting cross-legged against the wall. He sighed and fiddled with something. She assumed by the position of his hands, that it was a book.

"I've been thinking, and talking with a friend, and I was wondering if you would be willing to…" He sounded nervous. She wondered if he was calling the engagement off.

"To what?" She prodded lightly.

"To… to just go down to Lord Hokagae and have him marry us." There, he said it. "I know you probably want a big wedding, but I just think it would be easier if we get this over with sooner." He put a hand on her shoulder, and the same connection as before filled her with excitement.

"You mean, today?" She asked hopefully.

"I guess, if that's what you want." He thought she would protest. He never expected her to be eager.

"I could get out of this ceremony, and away from my mother?" It sounded too good to be true.

He laughed. It was a full laugh this time, nothing restrained. "She can't be that bad. Not bad enough for you to want to run away from home with the first guy who says yes."

"You haven't met her yet." Natsko regretted the words the instant they left her mouth. She didn't have time to apologize before her mother came out onto the porch herself.

"Natsko! I have been looking for you! I need you to come test some cakes for the reception. I swear you can be so- She was cut off. She had just seen Kakashi sitting on the ground with his hand on her daughter's shoulder.

He stood and helped Natsko to her feet. "I'm Kakashi, I don't think we've met." He held out a hand.

She took it dazedly and for once in her life she was completely speechless. "I… We…"

"I know, I wasn't going to drop by until tomorrow afternoon, but I saw Natsko sitting on the porch and I just couldn't help but join her." He grinned.

Natsko's mother regained some of her composure and invited him in for a cup of tea. He politely declined and slipped a piece of notepaper into Natsko's hand before leaving. She held it tight and waited until her mother was preoccupied.

"Daddy?" She asked hesitantly taking a step into her father's study.

"What is it?" He looked up at her and saw she was holding a piece of paper. "Do you need me to read that for you?"

"Yes please." She said slowly, hoping he wouldn't read it loud enough for her mother to hear.

He scanned the piece and handed it back to her. "Well, we better get going then." He said, taking her hand and walking her out of the house and into the warm spring day.

"What did it say?" She asked when they were far enough away from the house.

"To get you to Lord Hokagae's office at around five thirty." He stopped her in the middle of the street and faced her head on. "Natsko, you know I love you and want what will make you happy. Are you sure this is it?" He held both her hands in his and waited.

She smiled at him and thought about it. She had only known Kakashi for a few days, but he made her laugh and he made her confident. She was ready to live a life away from her parents, and she knew that she had been given a special gift when the matchmaker found her such a kind and honest man. "Yes Daddy, I really do think this will make me happy."

He hugged her tight and then stepped back a pace. "Then let's get moving, we have a wedding to get to."

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The ceremony was over within an hour. Natsko's father and Iruka witnessed it. The papers were signed and everything was set. There had been a brief moment of awkwardness when Iruka and Natsko recognized each other from Monday night, but Iruka was happy she found Kakashi.

Kakashi, Natsko and her father were on their way back to the house on King Street, planning what to say to Natsko's mother when they finally reached her. Iruka had gone on to Kakashi's apartment to get things ready. Even though the wedding was a bit sudden, Kakashi wanted a path through his home so that Natsko wouldn't trip over books.

They were almost back at the house when Natsko's father spoke for the first time since the ceremony ended. "Let me talk with your mother. You just pack your things." They stopped at the door and he kissed her on the cheek. "In case I don't get a chance to say goodbye. I would advise you to leave instantly once you are packed." He looked over at Kakashi and addressed him. "Take care of my daughter, I almost lost her once, and I don't want to lose her again."

"I will do my best to protect her and treat her well." He said back, almost like an oath.

"Go on then you two. I don't know how much time I can get before she begins throwing things." Her father walked through the door and into the lion's den.

While the yelling and general pandemonium commenced in the living room, Natsko led Kakashi to her room. He helped her pack all of her belongings into two suitcases, her clothing and her memories. Anything she wanted, it all fit into those two suitcases. He picked them up and carried them out the door, Natsko trailing behind, wondering if her mother would even notice she was gone.

Once they were outside she grabbed Kakashi's arm and followed him down several streets and homes until they were in the more populated part of the village. She heard the commotion of shops and restaurants and saw the outlines of many people. She smelled the ramen noodles from a nearby stand and realized that she hadn't eaten anything since lunch. However, she didn't want to inconvenience her new husband, and she already felt like a leech, holding onto his arm so tight.

He, on the other hand, was waiting for her to ask before mentioning food. She felt so tiny and lost. She held onto his arm with both hands, and it felt good to have her there. He didn't want to make her uncomfortable; he didn't want her to let go.

He turned off the main shopping street and into a small side street. It was a small alleyway, with stairs on either side. One staircase had laundry hanging from it, supposedly drying in the evening breeze. There were three apartments on the ground level, and three above; two on either side of the small alley and one at the back.

His was the upstairs apartment on the right side. He led Natsko up the stairs and to the door, where he put her suitcases down and paused for a moment.

"What's wrong?" She asked. "Are we here?"

"Yes, we're here." He hesitated for a minute and then asked, "Isn't there something about carrying the bride over the threshold?"

She giggled. It was the first time in several years that she had let herself giggle. "I don't think that it is necessary in our case." She said through a sweet tinkling of laughter.

"Well then, welcome home." He said, much calmer than before. Her laugh was cute and relaxing.

He walked her into the front room and began explaining the layout for her. "This is the living room, there is a couch in the middle and a chair to the right of it. Also to the right is the kitchen, I'll walk you around there later. Behind the couch is the table and chairs where I – we – eat. To the left, at the end of the wall is the door to the bedroom; I can walk you through that later too. The bathroom is on the right wall, the door is just before the flooring changes from wood to tile and you enter the kitchen."

"Thank you." She said politely. She walked straight with one hand in front of her and found the couch, where she immediately slumped down, exhausted. He followed suit, only sitting in the chair.

"It's been a long day hasn't it?" He asked, leaning slightly and picking up something off of a table she couldn't see. "I'll sleep out here tonight, I'm sure tomorrow I can go find a cot at the academy to put out here later, but for tonight the couch works."

They sat in silence the rest of the evening, neither one wanting to make the other uncomfortable, and both doing so. Finally Natsko stood and felt her way to the far wall. When she reached the bedroom door she said the first words since the two had sat down. "Well, goodnight."

_This is going to be an interesting marriage. _Kakashi thought to himself, stretching out on the couch and settling in for the night.

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Ok, forgot to mention this at the top: I started writing this BEFORE I knew that the Hokage DIED. Jeez, way to ruin my fanfiction why don't cha? Anyway, for the sake of my sanity, I decided not to change it, since he's only mentioned like... five times in the whole story. And several of those times it doesn't matter if he's alive or not, (Ah, the glory of flashbacks!)

Also: I know they got married EXTREMELY fast, (woah... that was like... three days...) but as justification I present you with this: Have ANY of you watched the show "Army Wives"? The main character married her husband after knowing him for four days!

Anyway, Read, Review and all that jazz.


	5. Mapping The Appartment

I just got a new keyboard installed on my laptop and I figured I'd celebrate. WOHOO!!! PARTY!!!... I am such a nerd...

Anyway, this chapter introduces Kiki, an AWSOME character in my opinion. She's so cool!

Disclaimer: Honestly, do I really have to say it again?

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Chapter Five

Mapping the Apartment

Natsko woke late the next morning, not realizing where exactly she was. At first she wondered what had woken her up, until she heard a loud crash from the next room. She then realized that she was in the bedroom of Kakashi's apartment, and he must have woken her up with a previous crash.

She yawned and stretched, her fist hitting a wooden headboard. She let out a small yelp and the noises from the kitchen ceased. Her hand hurt, and she saw it pulsing with pain. Suddenly she heard a voice from outside the door.

"Natsko?" Kakashi leaned against the door and hoped he wasn't waking her up.

"Yes?"

Good, she was already awake. "I… I put your suitcases at the end of the bed. The one with your clothes is on the top. When you are ready, I made breakfast."

"Oh, ok." Natsko slid her feet off the bed experimentally. She felt embarrassed that she had slept late and now he was cooking. That was her job. She shuffled her feet across the floor and kept one leg against the bed. Soon she found her suitcases and dressed herself.

She backed up to the bed and walked, one foot in front of the other, straight for the door. Seven, seven steps to the bed. She stepped out the door and ran her hand through her tangled hair. Her braid had come undone sometime in the night and she hadn't put it back yet.

Kakashi looked up from the kitchen to see Natsko coming out of the bedroom. She was fully dressed, but her hair was loose over her shoulders and a lot of it fell forward into her eyes. He got up quickly and reached out a hand to help her sit. She took it lightly and he led her to the small round table.

"I know it's not much, but I made some fried rice. Here." He handed her a bowl and she took it gratefully. She was extremely hungry. He sat down across from her and pulled out his book. She watched him stare at it and wondered what he could possibly be looking at.

When she had finished her rice she stood and picked up her empty bowl. "I'll wash the dishes." She stated promptly. He looked up quickly at her and then stood faster than she could count the steps to the kitchen.

"Wait- The kitchen isn't quite ready for you." He said, placing a hand on her shoulder and stopping her from walking any further.

"You know I can't see right? If you are trying to hide something then don't worry, I won't find it." She teased.

"It's not that." He took the bowl from her hands and walked around the counter into the kitchen, placing it in the sink gently. "When Iruka was here cleaning last night, he put all of my books on the kitchen floor. I tripped over them this morning and that was the crash you heard."

"Oh," He seemed embarrassed, she wondered why. "How many books do you have?"

He laughed. "I don't really know the exact number, but I'd say over two hundred." His face lit up at the idea of books. "I've read them all at least twice each, I really should buy myself a bookshelf."

She found this obsession with books to be a bit odd, she had never found them appealing; there really was no reason for her to. But her resolve was strong, even if this man was strange; she would be the best wife to him that she could. "I'll move them." She said resolutely.

This surprised him; she didn't seem like the cleaning type. Though he didn't know exactly what type she was. "Are you sure?"

"I'm a housewife now, or… an apartment-wife. It's my job." She felt around the table gently for his empty bowl and carried it as she counted the steps from the table to the counter and from one end of the counter to the other. She was soon around it and standing next to him, her hand in the sink with the dishes. She tried to take a step back but found that a stack of books piled knee-high blocked her way.

"Are you sure you can handle this? Because I have to go meet my students, and that means leaving you alone here." He sounded worried.

"I'll be fine, it's a small apartment. How bad could it be?" She doomed herself to a day of misery.

After Kakashi left, Natsko got ready and began mapping the house for herself. The way she did this was different than any other, because of her ability to see chakra. It would take her a while to get the entire apartment down, but today she could tackle the largest obstacles.

The first thing to deal with was the counter. As Kakashi had described the night before, the kitchen was on the right side of the back of the main room. A long counter divided the back half of the room, and this counter held the sink. She stood at the end of it with both hands flat on the counter and concentrated.

Slowly, as if someone were painting it, the outline of the counter, sink and cupboards appeared to her in a faint blue. She could now see the sink, the entire counter, and every cupboard door along the bottom of it.

Not one to waste time, she turned and shuffled forward, finding the couch and illuminating it as well. After two hours she was thoroughly exhausted, but she could see the table, chairs, counter, couch, chair, front door, bedroom door, refrigerator, stove, sink, bathroom door and the three windows that were in this particular section of the apartment.

She sat for a moment and listened to the new sounds that she knew she would have to get used to. The fridge hummed a different tune, she could hear a clock ticking somewhere in the room, but she couldn't pinpoint its exact location yet, and a leak was evident by the sound of the kitchen sink dripping in a steady beat.

There was a light knock on the front door and Natsko jumped slightly before composing herself and going to answer it.

"Hello, I'm Kiki, from next door, well, actually below you, but you get the idea. I just wanted to welcome you to the neighborhood." A very polite voice came from a faintly glowing figure at the door.

"Thank you, I'm Natsko." She said, offering the woman a hand to shake. Kiki ignored her hand and stepped into the room without invitation.

"This place is so bare!" She sounded appalled. She turned to Natsko and seemed flustered. "Oh, but I'm sure you will have it fixed up in no time, I mean, Kakashi hasn't decorated because he doesn't know better, but with you here now things will become much less… bachelor-ish."

Natsko closed the door and turned to face the person who had just invaded her quiet new home. She sounded young, not much older than herself, and her figure was slim. "I don't really plan on doing much besides cleaning." She said. "Please sit, can I get you anything?"

"No, thank you." The girl sat and continued talking. "What do you mean you aren't going to redecorate? This place is so… blah. I'm sure a pretty girl like you has better taste in furniture than this."

"Actually, I don't mind." Natsko said slyly, sitting down in the large armchair Kakashi had occupied the previous evening. "I can't see it." She grinned.

"How could you not see it?" Kiki stiffened; apparently she assumed Natsko was joking with her.

"I'm blind." Natsko realized that she had said those words more in the past week than she could ever remember saying them.

"Oh!" Kiki blushed, she was not used to social calls. She had married a much older man when she was much younger. Her husband had died within the past year, leaving her with two children and no money to speak of. She had moved into the low rent apartments and Sunday was her only day off from work at the noodle-house. "I'm so sorry, I didn't even notice."

"It's fine, not many people do." Natsko explained her ability to see chakra and soon she and Kiki were talking about the general small-talk things, such as weather and gossip.

"So, who lives around here?" Natsko asked curiously.

"Well, there's you and Kakashi, my children and I are below you, across the way is Mrs. Myuki, she is in her eighties and can't hear very well but she loves company, my older boy, Kazanuri, goes over and talks with her for hours on end. Above her are the Juki twins; they are a brother and sister who are at the academy right now, sweet kids. At the back you have Mr. Hatachi, and above him is Mr. Hitache. They like to argue over the mail a lot, but even if you can't see you will find they are as different as night and day." Natsko could tell Kiki would be an invaluable friend in her new home.

"You said you had children? If I may be so bold, how old are you?" Natsko inquired.

Kiki giggled. "Bold? Bold isn't an issue with me. You'll find that I can be pretty straightforward sometimes. As for my age, well, I turn twenty one next week."

_Twenty-one! _Natsko's mind screamed out at the thought. _Twenty-one with more than one child, I hope Kakashi doesn't expect that from me. _"How old are your kids?"

"Kazanuri is six, and TenTen is three. I got married when I was thirteen." Kiki had answered Natsko's next question without her even asking. "I know it sounds hard, but it really isn't. You'll understand when you have kids."

Natsko was eager to change the subject. She thought hurriedly for something interesting and finally she had it. "Speaking of hard, I have a project that I can't seem to figure out. Kakashi has over two hundred books stacked on the floor in the kitchen and I need help moving them, not to mention finding a place for them."

"Oh! I'd love to help! I'm sure the kids would help too. Organizing is like a hobby for me!" Kiki was standing in an instant and headed out the door. "I'll go get the kids and be right back."

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Once Kiki returned, the afternoon flew by. Natsko found that the two children were a great help, even if TenTen could only carry one book at a time. Kiki decided that the most beneficial place for the giant collection was behind the couch, stacked neatly and out of the way. She proclaimed that "Books should never be put on shelves, it makes them seem superior to everything else in the home." And so, the books were humbled into a new home on the floor.

Natsko watched the three figures go back and forth around her new home, building stacks of books that she couldn't see. She almost wished she could see the room and the people running back and forth, she was sure it was something to behold.

She would find out soon enough, for at about four thirty, Kakashi walked through the front door and found them there. "Hello Kiki, I see Natsko has put you to work almost instantly. I hope she is paying you well."

Kiki laughed again, Natsko had heard that sound a lot during the course of the day. "She said that there would be dinner in it for us, but I'm doing it because I didn't want to see her try and move these books herself."

Kazanuri ran up to the man and wrapped his arms around Kakashi's leg. "Kakashi!" The small boy waited for Kakashi to pick him up, which he promptly did.

TenTen got the idea and repeated her brother's antics. Yelling "'Kashi!" and being picked up as well. Kiki tried to apologize for her children's forward behavior, but he wouldn't have it.

"I've been babysitting these two for a year now, you think it bugs me to carry them around for a little bit?" He said playfully. Natsko blushed. He seemed like he liked kids.

He looked at her and then around the room skeptically. "What have you been doing to my apartment?" He asked.

She looked down at her feet, embarrassed at herself for cleaning and changing things without asking him. She had been foolish to think he wouldn't notice that she had filled his furniture with chakra. Kiki saw that her new friend was upset by something, so she took her children and said her farewells gracefully. She didn't want to embarrass Natsko even more.

Once Kiki left, Natsko began explaining what she had done. Kakashi listened throughout her whole explanation and then smiled at her, though she didn't know it. "I honestly don't mind." He began. "It's a clever thing to do. Though you know it won't last long."

Natsko knew this; she had done things like this before. "I know, but it will last long enough for me to memorize where things are."

That evening they ate in silence. After cleaning the dinner dishes, Natsko went to the bedroom and began unpacking. Kakashi sat and read, hoping she would ask him for help, or begin a conversation of some kind.

As she illuminated the furniture in the bedroom, she waited for Kakashi to invite her to sit, or begin talking about his day. Neither one was willing to start and both went to bed without saying a word.

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Life went on in silence for several weeks. Neither Kakashi nor Natsko wanted to be the one to initiate a friendship. Finally, after a month of married life, Natsko had it.

"Why won't he talk to me?!" She yelled out one morning after he left. "He was the one who wanted a friend, why won't he say anything?!" She went through the day yelling things at the dishes and chores; mostly because she was upset at herself for not talking either.

By the time Kakashi returned that evening she was resolved that she would try and initiate conversation. But, all throughout dinner, she was unable to think of anything to say.

Finally, after dinner and before bed, when the several hours of silence usually came, she sat on the couch and let the first words she could think of come. "What are all those books anyway?"

He looked up from the book he was currently reading and was momentarily silenced. He did not expect her to talk. "Well, they are kind of…" he hesitated. "Cheap." He ended, hoping she would get it.

She looked at him, confused. She thought she would try a different question. "What are they about?"

This was embarrassing. How could he tell her that he read cheap romance novels? "Romance." His mouth said before his mind could stop it.

"Oh." She said. Then an idea came to her; something that might fill the void of the evenings. "Would you read them to me?"

He was not expecting this either. What could he say? She was reaching out, trying to be friends, how could he say no? But the books were hardly appropriate for reading aloud. What was he supposed to do? There was really only one answer.

"I guess. I'll have to dig through and find the first one." He couldn't stop himself. His desire to befriend Natsko was greater than his embarrassment. She would figure out soon enough what was wrong with these books, and then it would all be over.

"Ok." She said quietly. He got up and knelt behind the couch obviously looking for a particular book. After finding it, he sat down again in the chair and began to read.

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Ok, so I'm fluffy. I like this. Plus, it gets much more intense soon. Please Review!


	6. Dark Pasts Revealed

Um... I make no excuses for any Mary-Sue ness. I tried not to go down that dark and dangerous road, and I PROMISE if I flirt with it in this story, I abandon it completely by the end. (I finished it this weekend, w00t!)

Here you go. I think I'm going to lose half my readers on this one, so review and tell me I'm wrong about that!

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Chapter Six

Dark Past Revealed

Life continued peacefully in harmony for two months. Kakashi read aloud every night, and Natsko built up the courage that was necessary for having a conversation with him. They grew to like each other, as friends and partners.

Kakashi's home had never been cleaner. Natsko found little else to do unless Kiki invited her over, or one of the neighbors needed something. She made friends with the other tenants and they all seemed to like her. Kakashi found that they visited more often than they had ever had when he was single.

One evening, right before they sat down to read, the young couple heard an urgent knock on their front door. It was Kiki, with her children in tow. "I hate to bother you," She began urgently. "But I was wondering if you could watch the kids tonight, Ino quit down at the noodle house and I need to cover her shift until someone replaces her."

By now, Kazanuri and TenTen were latched onto Kakashi's legs, and there was no way he or Natsko were going to say no. "Of course." Natsko accepted willingly.

"Wonderful, they've already eaten, and they need to be asleep by eight-thirty. I'll pick them up when my shift ends at ten." And with that, she left. Kakashi and the two children immediately began playing and after finishing washing the dishes, Natsko joined in for a hair-raising game of ninja.

At eight-thirty, both children were tucked into the bed and Natsko sat on the edge of it, getting ready to tell them a story. The door was cracked a little, and Kakashi listened in from the chair, wondering what she would tell them.

"I wanna hear about Ninjas!" Kazanuri begged.

"I wanna princess!" TenTen squealed.

Natsko shushed them both and leaned in. "How about both?" After approving squeals from both children, she began a story that caught Kakashi's attention.

"Once upon a time, a little princess was born blind. Her mother and her father cried for days when the doctor told them that their daughter would never be able to see. But they raised her as a normal princess anyway, and she grew up to be quite pretty.

"One day, a man came to their castle and told the king and queen that he could teach their daughter to see. The king and queen were overjoyed at this idea, and told him they would do anything for this. But what he asked them was very hard, because he told them that in exchange for her sight, she would have to work for him as a ninja.

"The princess's parents thought about it for weeks and weeks, and finally they decided that they wanted this man to teach their daughter, no matter what. So he took her away and taught her to see and how to fight. She fought like no other, because her sight was magical, and she could never miss her target.

"But soon, he asked her to compete in a tournament of ninjas, where only the best would win. She tried her hardest, but her two best friends disappeared in the tournament, and she was scared when it came to her turn.

"She stood before her opponent, and was ready to fight, when he cheated! He took away her magic vision, and tried to make her lose. But she knew how to stop him. She listened and listened, waiting for him to attack, and finally, when he did, she made him disappear!

"But the princess decided that she didn't want to fight anymore, and so she left the man and went home. The king and queen were happy to see her, and she was soon married to a handsome prince, who loved her for the rest of their lives." At the end of her story, Natsko looked down and saw that both children were asleep. She stood and backed slowly out of the room, bumping into Kakashi.

He had gotten up halfway through the story and stood next to the door so he could hear it better. "So… did the blind princess _really _marry a handsome prince?" he loomed over her like a mountain.

"Yes? Why do you ask?" She said confidently, hoping he wouldn't notice her disguised voice.

"Because that princess sounds awfully familiar, and I don't remember the story ending that way." He folded his arms across his chest and she saw his form and wanted to hide.

"I'm tired, can we skip reading tonight?" She attempted to change the subject.

He wasn't going to press the matter. "Sure. Take the cot; I'll sleep on the couch tonight."

With that, she lay down and pretended to sleep until finally she did. Kiki came soon and quietly carried TenTen out of the room. Kakashi following with Kazanuri.

"So she fell asleep?" She whispered, passing Natsko on her way out of the apartment. "I don't believe it."

"She and I had a little moment over a story she told the kids." He tried to explain the short exchange of words. "I'll figure out what happened in the morning."

"I used to do that when I was married. He and I would argue for two seconds and I would have to go back and ask him what happened." Kiki put one hand on Kakashi's shoulder and smiled up at him. "Don't worry; you two will be friends still. You were made for each other, even if you two don't know it."

They put the children in their beds in Kiki's apartment and Kakashi went back upstairs. He sat on the couch and watched Natsko's slow deep breaths, amazed at how peaceful she looked. He was sure that the story she told was in some way her own.

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Natsko woke to the smell of scrambled eggs the next morning. She sat up and looked over to see Kakashi making breakfast, again. He waved over at her and poked at a pan on the stove.

"Happy Hokagae's Birthday." He said haphazardly in her direction. "I gave the kids the day off; I was thinking you and I could go to the festival." His attitude was as if nothing had happened last night.

She wondered herself if they actually had a fight or if she was over thinking the whole scenario. "Um… sure, I guess." She said sleepily.

"Good. After breakfast I'll let you get ready and then we can go." Apparently he was ready already.

She got up, walked to the table and sat down. She ran her fingers through her hair, realizing that it was completely knotted and tangled. It would take her a while to fix that. Kakashi came over with two plates and sat down across from her. He put the chopsticks in her hand and she began eating slowly.

"Aren't you excited? The Hokagae's festival is always a huge celebration." He ate quickly and then sat watching her.

She couldn't help feeling that he had seen through her story the other night, but she didn't want to bring it up. "Of course, I'm just not that hungry, that's all." She lied.

"Well then, why don't you go get dressed? I'll find out what's going on when." He stood and left the apartment, which was now completely black. Natsko was usually used to this darkness, but this time it was almost overwhelming.

She went to the bedroom and began getting herself ready for the day. Once she was dressed, and her hair was calmed into a braid, she stepped out and found Kakashi waiting for her. He took her hand and led her out the door and down the stairs.

She probably could have gotten to the festival on her own following just the noises. The music was playing in every corner and alley. People were gathered in droves, and merchants were selling the best of their products in the streets. They spent most of the morning just wandering in silence, staring at the people and performers.

After stopping for lunch at a street vendor, Kakashi led her to a small booth at the end of a long street.

"Oh! Is this your wife?" An old woman's voice called from behind the counter. "She's pretty!" Natsko blushed.

"I want to get her something." He said simply. "A necklace maybe." Natsko realized that they were in a jewelry booth. "Something simple."

"Oh! I have the perfect thing!" The shopkeeper exclaimed. She rummaged around behind the counter and pulled out a box. "This is perfect for her."

It was a simple black ribbon with the leaf village insignia embroidered in silver in the middle of it. "A Jonin's wife needs something to show her pride." The shopkeeper beamed.

Of course, Natsko couldn't see the necklace, and Kakashi wasn't saying anything about it. She was curious as to what it could possibly be. Kakashi reached for it and picked it up gently. "Hold your hair up." He said quietly.

She did as she was told, and soon felt the soft ribbon around her neck. She felt him tying it behind her, and she put her hand to it to feel the insignia. "It feels so beautiful." She said in awe.

Kakashi handed the woman a few coins and they walked on. Suddenly he tensed up and tried to turn Natsko and walk in the opposite direction. "What's wrong?" she asked innocently.

"Kakashi-Sensei!" A girl's voice called from behind them. Kakashi cringed and turned to the voice, Natsko turning with him.

"Oh, hi Sakura." He said slowly.

"I'm so glad you're here! Isn't this fun? Oh!" The girl directed her gaze at Natsko. "Is this your wife?"

"Yes." He wrapped an arm around Natsko. "Natsko, this is Sakura, one of my students. Sakura, this is my wife, Natsko."

Natsko smiled and shook Sakura's hand politely. Sakura looked at her in awe. "You… your that girl! My dad talked about you."

Kakashi's interest was peaked, and Natsko blushed a deep scarlet. "I don't know what you mean." She tried to deflect it.

"What I mean? You were that ninja girl who went all psycho at the Chunin exams three years ago. My dad talked about it for weeks!" Sakura talked about it as if it were a common topic of conversation.

Natsko was horrified. How could she hide it now? She looked over at Kakashi, who portrayed the same air of calm he always did, and then politely tried to back her way out of the conversation. "Oh, I…" But Kakashi beat her to it.

"We have to go; it was nice seeing you Sakura." He waved and then herded Natsko through the crowds and back to the apartment.

"What was that?" He asked loudly after slamming the door behind them. "You are a ninja?!" He sounded angry.

"I _was_ a ninja. I quit." She sat on the couch and stared at her feet. "It was too hard."

"Too hard? How could you be a ninja and quit? It goes completely against the ninja way!" He paced back and forth across the apartment.

"You wouldn't understand!" She yelled. She had never yelled before. It felt good to make so much noise. She stood quickly and continued. "Watching your only two friends die! Carrying them through a forest full of people who want to kill you too! Finally delivering justice to the one person that you want to kill! Feeling like your life has no purpose! Being shunned and called bad luck! Being afraid of yourself!" She stopped. He had stopped pacing and was staring at her.

"What exactly happened at those Chunin Exams?"

She breathed hard. He held out a kitchen chair for her and she took it gratefully. He sat across from her and she began telling a story that she hadn't told to anyone.

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"_You have the scroll I want. Just hand it over and no one gets hurt." The ninja from the village hidden in the mists stood before the three leaf village ninja and made his demands. _

"_What makes you think we can _be _hurt?" Hiro taunted. He had always been the reckless one. Natsko looked over at him and Hiyakae, their other teammate. _

_The three had been teamed up for a specific reason. Hiro and Hiyake were twins with a very special ability. They had unlimited chakra. This made sure that Natsko could always see them. _

"_Natsko! Waste him!" Hiyake called from behind her. She pulled out a kunai knife from the holder on her left leg. _

"_Hah! You think those toys will work on me?" The other ninja said with a cocky air. _

"_The way Natsko uses them, they would work on anyone." Hiro said, jumping behind her and getting ready. _

_Natsko concentrated and filled the knife with chakra then threw it directly at the enemy. It was a hit. She got him in the leg. She never missed. When she filled the knife with her own chakra, it was a part of her, she could make it turn around, curve, or defy gravity in midair. _

"_Nice shot kid." The mist ninja complimented her. "But not good enough." He began to make hand signs. _

_The twins both jumped in front of Natsko and were the ones to receive the full blast of his jutsu. "Flaming mists jutsu!" He yelled out. _

_A heavy mist came at them fast. When it made contact with the twins it burst into flames. The three fell over backwards with the pain, and the mist ninja disappeared._

_Natsko moved quickly, pushing both Hiro and Hiyake off of her and patting out the fire on her own leg. She ran after the mist ninja, following his trail of chakra. Soon however, she had lost him in the forest, and had to turn back. _

_When she reached the clearing where her friends had fallen, she found them, burned and dying. She cried the hardest she had ever cried. After both had taken their last breaths, she stood, resolute. _

"_I will not lose." She stated angrily to no one in particular. She took both the scrolls from her teammate's packs, and then picked up each one and slung them over her shoulders. She looked down at her own chakra, and saw that it had turned a deep scarlet red. She felt the power of anger rush through her, and it filled her with a confidence she had never known. _

_She walked blindly through the forest, not eating or sleeping, for two days. It was sheer coincidence that she actually made it to the tower. Once inside, she gently set down Hiro and Hiyake. "Hello!" She called out, hearing nothing but the echo._

_She called and called for an hour before anyone came. Finally the exam proctor found her and led her away from the two dead genin. She was told over and over again that she would not go on to the final exam, but she refused to believe it. _

_Finally, the Hokagae caved. She was let in, and she was allowed to battle the one person she wanted to kill. The mist ninja. The thought of him alone filled her with the scarlet chakra of revenge. _

_When the day of the tournament arrived, she was ready. They met in the arena and began working each other to the bone. But then, the mist ninja knew her weakness. _

_In one swift move, he used up his entire supply of chakra. Making him completely invisible to her. She swore, and froze dead in her tracks. But then she realized that sight was not her only power. _

_She focused as much strength as she could to her ears, and listened. She could hear every heartbeat, every breath in the room. She focused harder on her goal, and there it was: the heartbeat of the mist ninja. _

_He stood behind her, but she struck first. She pulled out her knife and in one swift move; she stabbed him in the neck. It was over she had gotten her revenge. She looked down at what she had done, and was scared. Her body filled with her own normal chakra and she was sure that not her, but some vengeful creature had filled her and led her to kill that day. _

_Weeks passed, and rumors circulated about her as a ninja and the circumstances of her teammate's deaths. No one hired her as a ninja, though she passed the test. She spent a year attempting to find work, but no one would trust her. _

_She returned home to her mother and father and when she walked through the door they embraced her with open arms. Her mother began training her to run a household, and for two years she began the steady decline into a normal life._

_Then, she went to the matchmaker, met Kakashi, and got married. _

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"But that isn't me anymore." She finished. "I don't want to be that girl, the one who kills and fights for revenge."

Kakashi listened. He had been listening quietly the whole time. He thought about it and wondered how she had gotten through the academy and the written exam. She was a braver and stronger person than he thought.

"Well?" She prodded. She hated to admit it, but she wanted to know what he thought.

After another moment of silence, Kakashi stood and began to speak slowly and carefully. "What you did was brave, and strong, and killing that man was just a part of it. But quitting was stupid and cowardly. I am disappointed to have someone in my household who gives up so easily. From what you say, you had great potential, yet you gave it all up when people didn't believe in you. There is a lesson that still needs to be learned from that, and I can't teach it."

With that the story was ended, and he said no more for the rest of the evening. Natsko went to bed in silence.

Whether it was for the memory of her lost teammates, the fear of the memory of her vengeful self, or the shame she felt when Kakashi told her he was disappointed in her, she would never know. But that night, she went to bed uneasy and in tears.

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Um... I invented a random holiday, if you don't like it then... too bad?

Review please! Especially if you put this on your story alert list, I want to know why!


	7. A Most Promising Student

Here you go. More awsome random fun. I'm afraid of the Mary Sue factor, so please review and tell me I'm seeing things that aren't there!

Disclaimer: Um... Not mine?

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Chapter Seven

A Most Promising Student

For several days Kakashi would not even look at Natsko. She tried her hardest to get his attention or to have a conversation, but he ignored her almost completely.

This day was no different, and as he left, a short "Bye" was all she received. She leaned against the counter and cried, as she had done for the past four days. She cried for a good hour before she stopped herself.

"This is just silly." She said aloud. "I can't cry over something that happened three years ago. And I don't even care about Kakashi that much. Why should I care what he thinks?" She told herself over and over.

She went on with the day's chores and tried to compose herself. Finally, she came up with an answer to her own question. "He's my husband. It's my job to please him. That's why I feel so guilty." She told this to the dishes and continued washing them.

Slowly, a new thought crept into her mind. _Maybe I still can please him. _She left the dishes and went to her room. Inside the bottom drawer of one of the dressers, she kept a store of things from her past. She opened it and pulled out a set of throwing knives.

She took them out into the living room and set them on the kitchen table. Resolutely, she walked across the room to the blank wall in the front. There, she took her hand and made a blue handprint in the middle of the wall.

It was the only thing she could see in the darkness. She walked back to the table and picked up the five knives in her right hand. Her left hand held a sixth, and charged it with chakra.

_One… Two… Three! _She counted in her head; the knife flew from her hand and hit the thumb of the handprint dead center. In order, she hit every finger and the center of her handprint's palm. She stood and looked at the wall where six knives stuck out. "That ought to impress him." She said, returning to the dishes.

When Kakashi got home, he stared at the knives for quite a while before saying anything. When he finally did speak, it was simple. "Nice aim." Was all he said.

She looked at him over the dinner table and suddenly the words were out of her mouth before she could think. "Train me."

He paused in his eating. His chopsticks clacked as he set them down in front of him. "For what?"

"Jonin." She said without hesitation. "I want to be a ninja again." She stopped eating as well and waited.

His face hardened, but she couldn't see it. "I don't train cowards, and I don't train quitters. You have to think for yourself, and be willing to kill if necessary." He looked her dead in the eyes, trying to read her reaction.

She stared back at him, firm in her resolve. "I married a man I didn't know, I'm not a coward. I quit once; I don't plan on doing it again. I've killed before, and my thoughts are my own." She replied with the same slow tone he had presented to her.

"Come with me tomorrow and watch squad seven's training, and then tell me if you really want to do this." He said, picking up the dishes and leaving the table.

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Tomorrow came faster than Natsko wanted. She dressed quickly and put on a headband that she hadn't worn in two years. It still fit her the same way, and it felt as good as it had the first time she had put it on.

Kakashi was waiting for her and when she came out he said nothing. They both left the apartment in silence and met squad seven at the bridge. "This is Natsko." He said simply and roughly to the three students. "She will be observing and training with us today."

"Hey! Cool!" One genin said. His voice was grating and Natsko stared blankly at him. His body was filled with two different chakras, the normal blue kind, and a sinister red flame of energy that filled his very core.

"Whatever." The other boy said, he stood with his hands in his pockets and he held much power as well, though not as sinister as the first.

"Oh! This will be wonderful! I've never trained with another girl!" This form was familiar. Natsko remembered the girl who gave away her secret at the festival.

"She has a very… unique style. Watch out for her, she tends to bump into things." Kakashi said cryptically.

"Huh?" The red-chakra boy questioned, one had behind his head.

Natsko looked around at the group and giggled. "I'm blind." She noticed the change in attitude of all three. "I can see chakra."

"Oh." He said, not really realizing what she meant.

"Aren't you three forgetting something?" Kakashi asked, "Like maybe, your names?"

The girl perked up at this. "I already met you at the festival, remember? I'm Sakura."

"Yes, I remember. Nice to see you again."

"I'm Naruto Uzumaki! I'm going to be Hokagae someday!" The two-chakra boy said extremely loud, as if he were at the other end of a long hallway.

"You are such an idiot Naruto." The third member of the team smacked Naruto's head. "She's not deaf. She can hear you just fine. I'm Sasuke by the way."

"Nice to meet you all." Natsko said politely.

"Well, enough talking. Let's head down to the training grounds and get started." Kakashi ordered. "But first, Sakura, I want you to leave footprints."

"What do you mean Kakashi-Sensei?"

"Exactly what it sounds like. I want you to focus your chakra on your feet and make sure you leave a little bit on the ground at every step." He instructed.

Natsko caught on instantly, she remembered her teammates being instructed to do the same thing. "So I can follow and not run into anything. If I walk in your exact footprints, I won't walk into any walls or garbage cans." Natsko explained.

With that, they began the trek to the training grounds.

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Natsko sat under a tree, watching the three genin going through a rigorous training routine. They beat on each other and Kakashi mercilessly. Kakashi continually looked over at her to see if she was watching closely.

Finally, as the afternoon was almost over, he beckoned to her from the middle of the clearing. He was standing with Sasuke and Naruto. Sakura was sitting in a tree nearby.

"I want you to show the students what you can do." He handed her a set of knives and walked over and charged a stump with chakra. "I want one in the center of the top, one on the back, left, right, and dead center of the front." He stepped back from the stump and spoke one more time. "And one more thing, I don't want you to move an inch out of the spot you are in."

Sasuke and Naruto stepped away from her in anticipation. Naruto couldn't help himself from saying something. "That can't be done! She would have to turn the knives in midair!" Sasuke just folded his arms and stared, patiently waiting for her to fail. She wasn't going to give him that satisfaction.

She took the first knife in her left hand and charged it. She sent it flying towards the stump and hit it dead center in the side facing her. No surprise there. She took the next one and charged it as well. When she threw it, she threw it slightly to the left and watched it get closer to the stump. When it was parallel to it, she flicked her hand and it changed directions and buried itself in the side of the stump.

"That's so cool!" Naruto yelled and jumped.

"She has three more to throw, please hold the applause." Kakashi stood with his arms crossed on the other side of the stump.

She repeated the process with the third and fourth knives, burying them in the right side and the top of the stump. "We'll see if she can make the back." Kakashi said skeptically.

Natsko glared at him and threw the last knife. It overshot the stump and she grinned as she guided it around behind Kakashi and back through his legs, dangerously close to an area not to be stabbed by a knife.

It imbedded itself in the stump, just as the others had. She folded her arms and smiled slyly at Kakashi, who was still recovering from the near-loss of something very precious to him.

"That was so awesome!" Naruto screamed and jumped around the area.

"Cool." Sasuke stated with no emotion at all.

Sakura jumped down from her tree and ran towards them. "Can you teach me to do that?" She asked excitedly.

Natsko took another knife from the case tide to her leg and held it up in front of her. "I can teach you to do worse." She charged it and threw it at the stump. When it hit she made a hand-sign, and it exploded.

"Wow!" Naruto paused in his jumping. "I wanna try!"

By now, Kakashi had made his way over to them. "I don't think so, Naruto. It requires a degree of control that very few ninja ever achieve." He looked at Natsko and smiled. "You've been holding out on me. I knew you could throw them and I figured you could control their direction pretty well, but you didn't tell me you mastered the exploding technique."

"Can you imagine hitting a person with that?" Sakura was in awe. "They would be blown to pieces!" A shred of horror was in her tone.

"That's why I used to use it on locked doors and walls that got in my way." Natsko explained. She looked at Kakashi expectantly. "So does this mean you will train me?" She asked carefully.

"If you are willing, I think you can pass the Jonin exam three months from now." He nodded at her and she breathed easy. She was going to begin training.

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"Again!" Kakashi called out for the umpteenth time that morning. Natsko was getting sick of running this drill.

Sakura, Sasuke, Naruto and Kakashi all stood at edges of the clearing. Natsko stood in the middle. This clearing was much larger than the one she had trained in previously, and she could just barely see each form at the edges.

She took a breath and filled a knife with chakra. Sasuke stood directly in front of her, and she threw it at him. She closed her eyes, concentrating on the knife. All of a sudden she was flying through the air, seeing from the knife's point of view. It grew closer and closer to Sasuke, yards… feet… inches… At one inch from his nose, she stopped the knife in midair.

Without missing a beat, she threw another knife, this time to her left, at Sakura. She concentrated, and stopped it an inch from the girl's nose. She repeated the process to her right, at Naruto. All three knives still wavered in the air in front of their targets, held up by sheer willpower.

She threw the last knife behind her at Kakashi and stopped it an inch from his face. All four knives were suspended in midair now. She breathed, and concentrated. All four knives flew backwards towards her at lightning speed.

They all stopped inches away from her head. She grabbed each of them and put them back in her holder. Kakashi came walking up from the end of the field. "Good! Everyone come back in!" He called, loud enough that all could hear.

He put a hand on Natsko's shoulder and turned her so she was facing him. With his other hand he wiped a sweat drop from her temple and looked down fondly at her. "Good job. You finally got all of them to come back at the same rate."

She breathed heavily. "It took forever." She complained. She fell into him, her forehead resting on his chest.

"Ew! Can't you two do that at home?" Naruto called, getting back just then. "Come on! Lets do something fun, I'm sick of having knives thrown at my face!"

Natsko pulled away from her husband. She looked at him questioningly and he nodded. "Alright, you boys go play. It's time for Sakura and I to have target practice." She stepped over to the girl and followed Sakura's footprints to a smaller clearing. At one end was a large tree with hundreds of knife marks in it and along one side was a long log used for observers.

"Ok, you know the drill." Natsko said, taking a seat on the log. "Charge your knife, and throw."

"Ok." Sakura breathed and pulled out a knife. She charged it and threw it at the tree. It missed. She walked over and found it in the bushes.

"I don't get it! I haven't been able to hit the tree at all! I've been doing this for three weeks and I can't hit it!" She yelled after the fifth throw.

Natsko stood. "I was afraid I was going to have to do this." She stepped behind Sakura and tied the girl's ninja headband around her eyes like a blindfold. "I'm going to charge the tree. Focus on it, try to see my energy.

She walked along the edge of the clearing and felt her way to the tree. It was easy to identify by feel, it had so many deep cuts in it. She charged it and stepped back. "Now focus, see if you can find the tree without looking."

Sakura stood completely still, focusing. She saw a faint blue haze across the clearing. "I see something!" She yelled with excitement.

"Good!" Natsko came back to her and stood behind her. "Now charge your knife and throw it, concentrate on the tree, not the knife."

Sakura did as she was told, concentrating on the tree. Her throw was off, but the knife curved towards the tree, hitting it low, but centered. Natsko took the blindfold off of Sakura and pointed. "Look, you hit it."

Sakura was overjoyed. "I did it? I did it!" She squealed and hugged Natsko so hard that she felt the blood rush to her head.

"Do it again, without the blindfold." Natsko ordered once she could breathe again. "Remember, concentrate on the tree and your knife will find it."

Sakura did as she was told and hit the tree, dead center this time. "I did it!" she screamed.

"Good." Natsko was impressed. "I think that's enough for today." She stood and followed the same footprints she had followed into the clearing. "You really are a promising student. You sure you aren't blind?"

Sakura laughed. "I'm sure. I just like controlling my chakra. It's basic, but deadly." She walked alongside Natsko and talked on and on as they rejoined the boys.

"Did you finally hit it?" Naruto asked skeptically.

"Yes. Blindfolded." Sakura proudly proclaimed. "Aren't you impressed Sasuke?"

"Eh." Sasuke grunted in approval.

Kakashi planted himself next to Natsko and leaned over to whisper in her ear. "It was easier once she couldn't see, wasn't it?"

"Much." Natsko whispered back.

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Each day after training, Natsko and Kakashi returned to the apartment exhausted. They fell into a routine of eating dinner, reading a little and then sleeping. Starting the next day fresh with breakfast and more training. The days melded together in this form, so that the time before the Jonin exams crept up on them faster than they expected.

The day arrived and Natsko was having second thoughts. _What if I can't do it? What if I fail? What if I die? What will Kakashi think of me? _

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Ok, seriously RANDOM thought process at the end. Sorry. Review please!


	8. Jonin

Ok, the story is now winding down. (there are only ten chapters) I hope you like it, though you will all kill me in the end. I know it. But there might be a sequil. Not for a while though, I want to focus on my avatar story.

Disclaimer: Don't own it. If you don't get it by now you scare me.

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Chapter Eight

Jonin

Natsko stood in the middle of a group of contestants. There were twelve in all, and she had been told that rarely does anyone pass the exam. She looked around her and saw so many tall, strong figures. She felt certain that she would fail instantly.

"Gather round people!" Someone called from the front of the room. "I want to explain this test to you." It must have been the examiner.

Natsko made her way to the front of the group and stood, waiting for the single figure to begin explaining. He looked at her skeptically and asked, "Are you sure you're in the right place miss?" He took a step closer to her and looked her up and down. "This is no place for a pretty little thing like you."

She turned her head up towards his and wanted to hit him for that comment. Instead she just smiled coyly and said, "I'm more than what I look."

"You better hope that's true." He stepped back and addressed the entire group. "This test is not like anything you have ever encountered before. It will be grueling, and it will challenge every skill, technique and character trait that you possess." He looked around the room and lingered on each prospective Jonin individually.

"Through this door are twelve rooms; one for each of you. You must collect the five scrolls that are through each of the five doors in your room. If you do not have all five scrolls before the bell rings, then you fail." He sounded as if he took pleasure in telling them this.

"How long's that?" One Chunin asked, his voice was smooth and he stood at the back of the group with his arms folded.

"Two hours. But don't think that means the rooms are easy to get in and out of." He adjusted the clipboard in his hands and addressed them in a bored tone.

"Now, for the rules: one, you must collect all five scrolls to pass, two, you will be facing at least one of the other competitors in combat, don't kill them." He looked at the group once more. "That about sums it up. Except," here he looked directly at Natsko. "Please, don't die; it causes a lot of paperwork."

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Each of the competitors was led to their door by an assistant examiner. Natsko stood in front of her door, waiting for the start bell to ring. When it did, she stepped through it and walked down a short hallway with her hands on either wall next to her. Soon, both walls ended and she stepped onto a floor that began rotating.

"What the – she felt the floor move and rushed to the other side of it, touching a door and leaving a light handprint on it. She realized that she would need to leave a mark on the doors she had already been through if she were to pass this as quickly as possible.

She opened the door she was leaning on and cautiously felt her way into the room. It was filled with long, thin strips of light. _Snakes! _She screamed in her head. _And I have no way to see the scroll. _

She watched the snakes carefully, their energy pulsing with hunger. One very large snake in the back of the room had an odd shape to its midsection. "That's not…" She trailed off. It certainly was; the snake had eaten the scroll.

"Great." She muttered sarcastically. She stepped around snakes and stubbed her toes on boulders. She couldn't see the fangs or scales, but she could hear the hissing as they tried to strike her. She dodged them as easily as she would Kakashi's punches.

When she reached the snake with the scroll, she pulled out a knife and slit it open in one swift move. She grabbed the scroll and shoved it in her pack, turned and left the room as easily as she had gone in.

"That wasn't too bad." She said, stepping back onto the rotating floor. She watched the light blue handprint circle her and she avoided it, getting another door. She left another handprint, and stepped through it.

She entered and challenged door after door. Finally finishing with each one, she laid the scrolls out and opened all five of them at the same time. She was suddenly dropped out of the room and into another, larger room where the contest proctors waited.

"You are the first one out." The main examiner said with shock. "I expected that you would have given up long ago."

Panting from the test, Natsko looked at him with a smirk. "I gave up once; I promised my husband I would never do it again. I don't plan on breaking that promise anytime soon."

The examiner looked at her with a newfound respect. He handed her a scroll with her results on it and showed her to the exit himself. She thanked him and left, spotting Kakashi, who was waiting impatiently outside the building.

She handed him the scroll with a smile and he read it slowly. She poked him gently, "Aloud please."

He went back to the beginning and started reading. "For excellent performance in combat, deductive skills, leadership, bravery and tact, Natsko Hatake has passed her exam. The Hokage will look over her review and present her with an according rank."

When he finished, Natsko took his arm and he led her through town to the ramen shop. "You told me I could do it." She commented lightly.

He ruffled her hair and smiled. "I never doubted it for a second." In truth, he had been pacing outside the building the entire time she was taking her test.

"SO?!" Sakura, Naruto, and Sasuke proclaimed in unison from inside the shop.

"I passed!" Natsko exclaimed as she took a seat in-between Sakura and Kakashi, who sat at the end of the long counter.

Naruto cheered, Sakura hugged her and Sasuke gave a half-hearted congratulations. They ordered dinner and as they sat, Natsko was asked to tell stories of each room multiple times.

Kakashi watched her in amazement. She surprised him daily. Today was no exception, though it wasn't the exam results that were surprising. No, he was amazed to find her being so open with people. When he met her she wouldn't talk to a fly, let alone tell stories about adventures to three genin.

"Kakashi-sensei?" Sakura was standing next to him and whispering in his ear. He broke away from his thoughts to listen to her. "Have you kissed her yet?" She questioned quietly.

He turned his head abruptly to look at the pink-haired girl. She was completely serious. "What do you mean?" He asked slowly.

"Well, the two of you ARE married, but I never see you two kissing. It just seems odd." She blushed a little. "I was just curious. That's all."

He wondered silently why she hadn't asked Natsko. One look at his wife talking to the two boys was enough. She didn't want to interrupt the stories to ask such a random question.

"Well, no." He said sheepishly. He tried to shake off the feeling of embarrassment, but it wouldn't go away. Why was he embarrassed about not kissing a woman he married without knowing?

"I'd do it soon." Sakura advised. "I can tell you really like her and she likes you too. There's no reason not to." She smiled at him and moved back to her seat, leaving him to think about the idea.

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I know, it's short and you all hate me. But the next one will be longer. I hope.

Read and Review please!

P.S. I didn't go through all the rooms because that would take... forever... and I HATE writing battle/fight scenes. So... sorry.


	9. A Dangerous Rescue Mission

Here it is! Everyone is asking for it, I've finally posted it! You'll know what I'm talking about by the end of the chapter!

Disclaimer: ... If you are reading this... I'm sorry...

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Chapter Nine

A Dangerous Rescue Mission

It had been one of those rare weeks when nothing happened. Life was calm and peaceful. It was early fall and the leaves outside were a light shade of yellow-orange that made the village look like a September wonderland.

Natsko hummed through her days, and smiled when Kakashi stepped through the door each evening. She trained every morning and took an occasional mission. She knew her life was not in the field, but she enjoyed knowing that she was more than just a housewife.

Though she tried to keep it clean, the apartment was often neglected. Kakashi didn't seem to mind, in fact, he preferred it when Natsko was out watching him train the genin. He was always happier when she was nearby. She was a constant companion, someone to talk with and share his life with.

One lovely afternoon, when Natsko opened the windows to hear the streets and the breezes, the wind blew in a different kind of sound. "Natsko!" A loud, distinguishable voice boomed from the doorway.

In the five seconds it took for Natsko to hear her name, look towards her front door, and realize who was there, the good mood that she had built up over the past few months was gone. She hoped this day would never come, but alas, here it was. Her mother was there for a visit.

"Natsko, darling! I was so worried about you!" The woman stepped across the room and hugged her daughter so tight.

_Sure you were. So worried that it took you five months to finally show up. _Natsko thought critically.

"It took me so long to track you down, you know, your husband doesn't make himself easy to find. You should really talk to him about that." She continued, oblivious to Natsko's obvious lack of interest.

_Jeez, he's a high level ninja; the guy has twenty people a day who want to kill him. Obviously he doesn't want to be found. _"I'm sorry mother. I'll talk to him about it."

Finally, after letting go of her daughter, the elder woman took stock of the apartment. She let out a small gasp, attempting to hold it in and failing. "Why, dear, this place… It's…"

_Lovely? Charming? Homey? How about…_

"Dreadful!" She stood behind the couch and turned slowly to survey the main room. It was not to her liking at all. "Didn't I teach you better? I know I showed you how to clean! At least you could do that, even if you are worthless at decorating." She spotted the books.

"What on earth?!" She picked one up and began flipping through the pages.

_Ah, yes. "Well mother, those would be my husband's trashy romance novels; he reads them to me every night." I might as well tell her he keeps porn hidden under the bed. _

"These are hardly appropriate! And displaying them openly, in the living room! I can't believe you let this go on!" She put the book down as if it carried plague. She moved on to the table, where the dishes from yesterday and this morning were still sitting there.

"Dishes, everywhere! What do you do all day? Sleep? How can you let this get so bad?!" She had her hands on her hips, and she was now glaring at the kitchen sink, where even more dishes were piled.

"Well mama, it's just…" _Sure, tell her you decided to be a ninja again. That will go over well. _"Kakashi and I don't have much time to work on the apartment. I'm amazed I was here when you got here."

"Not much time? What on earth could you possibly be doing? You are a housewife for heaven's sake! It's your job to cook and clean!" She scanned the kitchen from a distance, curious, but scared.

"I've been helping him with his work. He and I have been training." _Wohoo, big deal. _

"Training? Are you trying to go back to that life?" Her mother sounded horrified. "You can't be serious. No man wants that, and you should know better! You don't belong in that world!"

_Guess what Mom, I'm a Jonin now! _Natsko didn't reply, she moved into the kitchen to start a pot of tea.

The door was abruptly opened and Kakashi came in, looking exhausted. One quick glance at his wife told him that all was not well, and he soon saw his mother-in-law standing before him, mouth-agape.

She wasted no time in picking a fight with him. "What is your excuse for this place? It's a sham! How could you possibly expect to raise a family here? And what's this I hear about Natsko training again? How could you possibly allow it?" She would have continued if she hadn't noticed that Kakashi was completely ignoring her. He walked over to Natsko and took the tea kettle from her, shooing her out of the kitchen and starting the stove himself.

"Well?" The elder woman asked impatiently. She tapped her foot and glared at him.

"My excuse is that I train constantly, not only myself but my squad. I don't think Natsko and I are ready to even think of family yet. She started training again and made Jonin. I allow it because she enjoys it, and I enjoy her practicing with me. Does that answer your questions?"

The woman was speechless. After a moment of recovery she turned to Natsko, who was standing off to the side of the kitchen, and asked: "Is this all true?"

"Yes." She replied quietly.

"And furthermore," Kakashi interrupted. "Since she's been out of your home and in my care, she has opened up immensely. I think she has benefited greatly from this marriage, as have I." With that he walked up behind Natsko and wrapped his arms around her waist and bent to lean his chin on her shoulder. "Now if you please, I would like to spend the rest of my evening in peace with my wife. If you are going to disrupt that peace, I suggest you leave."

Natsko's mother was appalled. She stomped over to the door and, without a word, left, slamming it behind her. Reluctantly, Kakashi started to untangle himself from Natsko. She turned around and pulled his arm hard enough that he turned back to her.

She reached up and placed a hand on his cheek. He lowered himself to her so that they were almost eye to eye. She placed a finger on his lips, as if locating them for her next move. She was suddenly stopped by the feel of fabric. "What's this?" She asked quietly.

He touched her fingers gently and guided them to the edge of his mask, helping her to slide it off his face. "A hindrance." Before she could say anything, he pulled her closer and kissed her with a deep passion he hadn't felt until now.

They broke apart for a brief moment and as they did, Natsko spoke quietly. "Thank you, you rescued me."

"What else could I do for someone I love?" He closed his eyes and picked her up so that he didn't have to bend over any longer.

She smiled and let him hold her, wrapping her legs around his waist to make it easier. "I love you too." She spoke it as a realization.

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That night, as she was walking home from work, Kiki spotted a familiar cot in the community dumpster.

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I did it! I wrote my first deeply awesome kiss scene! I am really happy with this. But it doesn't matter what I think, I want to know what YOU think! Review!


	10. Kichi

Ok, so, since everyone who reviews this story reviewed in like the first HOUR, I figured there was no point in waiting to put up the last chapter. Yes, you read that right, this IS the last chapter. Though there will be an epilogue in the near future. Please don't kill me.

I'm just going to leave out the disclaimer now...

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Chapter Ten

Kichi

Kakashi heard a crash from the kitchen and then a small yelp. He stood quickly from the couch and turned to see Natsko bent over with her hand on her foot. He hurried over as quickly as possible and saw that she had dropped a glass and it had shattered all over the floor.

"Don't move! There's glass everywhere." He stepped tenderly around the broken pieces and picked her up gently in his arms. She was so light; he thought that if he dropped her she would shatter just as the glass had. He knew that wasn't true; she had proven herself time and again.

He laid her carefully on the couch and knelt down by her feet. She could see her foot's chakra pulsing and she felt the blood dripping down her heel. She also saw Kakashi worrying about her and fussing over her foot.

"I think I stepped on some." She said, not seeing the true extent of her injury.

He stared at the large chunk of glass sticking out of her foot, and the blood that was staining the couch. He would have to do something quickly. He reached into his vest-pocket and pulled out a small first-aid kit. "I've seen worse." He said shakily, hoping to calm himself down.

He had seen worse, but not on someone he cared so much about. He reached for her foot and closed his eyes tight. In his head he counted, one… two… three… he pulled out the glass.

Natsko wanted to scream. It had been bad, stepping on it. It was worse having it taken out. But Kakashi was the one who knew about injuries. She had never seen a drop of blood in her life. She then saw something odd.

Looking down towards her abdomen, she saw a cluster of chakra she hadn't seen in her body before. It was faint, and small, but it was there. She forgot all about her bleeding foot, and her husband who was now stitching it up carefully. She watched the new form intently until she was almost positive that she knew what it was.

She leaned back against the arm of the couch and smiled. Kakashi paused in his stitching and looked at her strangely, she was acting different. Normally she would be afraid or in tears by now. He tied off the last stitch and bandaged her foot in silence.

"Is everything alright?" He asked tentatively. He sat down next to her on the small sofa, and she sat up and leaned on him. He wrapped one arm around her and she smiled lightly.

"Uh huh. Kiki was telling me the other day that women get clumsy when they are pregnant. I guess this is just the beginning." She sighed and buried her head in his chest.

He looked at her, wide-eyed and amazed. "Are- Are you sure?" He asked, pulling back a little so he could see her face.

"I can see it." She said simply, looking down at what she was sure now was a baby.

She never ceased to amaze him. She couldn't see the glass embedded in her foot, but she could see a baby that wasn't even the size of his thumb yet. He almost envied her. But at that point he was too happy to be jealous. He pulled her close and kissed her hard.

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The next morning the couple decided to spend the day in. Rain drizzled on the windows and the clouds darkened the sky. Natsko lay on the couch and listened as Kakashi read aloud. She watched the baby inside of her with amazement, not wanting to look away for fear that it wouldn't be there when she looked back.

As the day went on she began to believe more and more that she was pregnant. Mostly by the nausea that plagued her, but partially because she felt like it was right. Kakashi couldn't stop watching her. She was pregnant. He was going to be a father. It was a dream he never dreamed of having, but now that it was coming true, he didn't know what he ever did without it.

That evening, right before dinner, a knock on the door was followed by the entrance of Iruka. Natsko didn't even look up from the pan she was working with; Kakashi gave a quick wave and went back to his book. The Chunin took a seat across the table from Kakashi and addressed Natsko casually.

"So, how's life treating you two? Anything new from last week?" He had made it a habit since Natsko made Jonin to visit them for dinner every Friday night. Natsko was used to this by now and always prepared for him.

Kakashi put his book down and looked over at Natsko. Realizing that she didn't see him, he said her name anxiously. She picked up the dinner dishes and walked carefully over to the table. Iruka and Kakashi grabbed them from her before she could drop them.

She sat next to Kakashi and smiled at Iruka. "Well, we just found out last night, but…" She paused and looked at Kakashi quickly. He nodded for her to continue. "I'm pregnant." She said excitedly.

Iruka looked at the two skeptically. "No way." He decided. "There's no way you two are going to be parents this soon. You hated each other until three months ago." He gave Kakashi a look. "Don't think I didn't notice when the cot disappeared."

Natsko turned a deep shade of scarlet. Kiki said almost the same thing when she came to visit a few days after the cot found its way into the dumpster. Iruka noticed her blush and began apologizing. "I'm sorry Natsko; I didn't mean it that way. This is great, I'm really happy for you guys."

He turned to Kakashi and winked. "I'll save room in my class at the academy for him right?"

"Of course." Natsko answered before Kakashi could say something inappropriate. "Only the best for our child." She grinned; she didn't need to see to know that her compliment made him blush. _Now we're even._ She thought to herself before daintily taking a bite of her meal.

_It's only fitting. _Kakashi thought to himself. _If it wasn't for him and his instance that I visit a matchmaker, I never would have met Natsko. _He looked over at Iruka and as if she read his mind, Natsko spoke. "Thank you."

The young man was taken by surprise. "What for?"

"You were the one who dragged Kakashi to the matchmaker. If you hadn't, I don't think either of us would be as happy as we are now."

"I guess I did, didn't I?" Iruka seemed pleased with himself. It was his fault that these two were so blissfully happy. It seemed nothing could ruin it.

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After several months the baby became the only thing either one could think about. During training sessions, Kakashi was distracted. The three students had to pry the information out of him, but when he finally told them he was going to be a dad, they were overjoyed for him.

Natsko told Kiki almost immediately. She wanted someone who knew what they were doing to help her. She was thankful that she did too, the neighbor proved to be more help than she could ask for. It was Kiki who took Natsko to her first doctor's appointment.

At five months, Natsko had waited an awful long time before finally facing a doctor. As she sat in the small exam room she watched her baby stretch gently inside of her. When the doctor finally came in her head jerked up in response.

"Hello, what can I do for you today?" She asked cordially.

"I'm just here for a checkup. I'm afraid I haven't been in for the first few months, but I've just been busy." She lied. Her real reason was a fear of what the doctor would tell her; a fear that became all too justified.

After giving Natsko the once over, the doctor stared grimly at her. Of course, this expression went unknown to her. Unfortunately, it meant she had no advanced warning of the scolding she was about to receive.

"You are a very reckless young woman." She began carefully. "That burn on your leg has destroyed muscle tissue that is vital to having a child."

Natsko let her hand stray to her leg. She would never let on that it hurt her. Only recently had Kakashi even noticed it. She hoped beyond hope that the doctor wouldn't say what she was about to.

"The chances of you surviving childbirth are slim. If you had come in earlier I would have been willing to terminate the pregnancy, but you waited too long. I'm sorry, but there's nothing I can do." The woman leaned back in her chair and scowled. She hated giving bad news.

Natsko's other hand found a spot on her abdomen. It looked to her as if she were reaching out for the baby's hand. She would never have given up this child anyway. This baby was a symbol of everything she had been through since marrying Kakashi. It was evidence that she had lasted, and that she was loved.

"Then, I'm glad I didn't come in earlier." She spoke firmly, but several tears stained her face. "I am going to do everything in my power to have this baby. No matter what you say." She stood and left the room, finding Kiki waiting in the hallway.

"Is everything all right?" She asked, concerned.

"Just fine. Can we go home now?" Natsko's voice was laced with anger. Kiki wrapped an arm around her and walked her home in silence. When they reached the apartment, she stopped at the door and faced Natsko with a concerned look.

"Do you want to talk about what happened?" She asked slowly.

Natsko considered it. It would be easy to tell all her troubles to her friend. They could cry together and it would all feel better, but she decided against it. "It's something I need to talk to Kakashi about first." She said simply. It was the bare truth of it; she needed to speak with her husband before seeking a friend for comfort.

"Ok. But if you need me you know where to find me." Kiki turned and went downstairs. Leaving Natsko to face the horrible reality of her situation. She opened the door and stepped inside slowly, noticing that Kakashi was already home, waiting for her.

When he saw her he jumped to his feet and ran to her, wrapping his arms around her and kissing her gently. "How did it go?" He asked, leading her to the couch and sitting them both down.

"The doctor said the baby was fine. But…" She hesitated. "I don't know how to say this…"

He looked at her with deep concern. What could the doctor have possibly said to make her this upset?

"The burn on my leg is bad." She began. "The muscles are weakened and it means that I will have little chance of surviving childbirth." She said it as if it didn't apply to her. She hoped fervently that it didn't.

He slowly processed this information, wrapping his arms around her in comforting silence. Finally, he spoke. "I wouldn't bet on chances." He kissed her forehead.

She was puzzled by this. "What do you mean?" She asked hesitantly.

"You have defied the odds on more than one occasion. I'm not going to believe anything until after you've proven them wrong." He stood slowly and held a hand out to her.

She took it and stood, an awareness of his confidence flowing through her. She hadn't noticed this feeling in quite some time, but today it was as strong as the day they met. His strength was hers and she felt as if a weight had been lifted from her.

"As for a doctor, I'm sure we can find someone who will help us." Kakashi broke her trance. He handed her a jacket and led her out the door into the now snow filled February they lived in. "Let's just focus on one day at a time. Tonight, let's go out to eat." He helped her down the stairs and out into the street, watching her and protecting her all the while.

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"Do you realize we have been married for a year now?" Natsko smiled at Kakashi from across the room. She lay on the couch with both her hands folded neatly across her ever growing belly. Around her neck was the necklace he had given her the previous summer.

"How can you tell?" He asked, amazed that she counted. He himself had been staring at the calendar, realizing just that fact when she spoke.

"Its spring or at least, it's beginning to be. It's March isn't it?" She sat up a little, grinning as she felt the baby move inside her. "I can smell the beginnings of flowers outside and it isn't as cold."

She never ceased to amaze him. He watched her from the chair and smiled inwardly. How could he be so lucky as to be matched with her? "What should we do about it?" He asked.

"I think we should invite Kiki and Iruka to dinner. The kids too, I want to see them again." Natsko had given this quite a bit of thought.

"I think that's a wonderful idea. Want me to go invite them so you can start dinner?" He stood and made his way to the door.

She sat bolt upright and broke out of the day's trance. "Is it really that late?"

Dinner that night was so far opposite to the night that mirrored it a year ago. There was laughter and joy resonating against every wall of the crowded apartment. Kakashi met his team on the way to find Iruka and ended up inviting them too.

Natsko didn't mind one bit, she was always happy to have people around now. She never wanted to feel lonely again. The people who gathered were all happy for the young couple. Kazanuri and TenTen ran around playing ninja, while Kiki and Sakura cooed over Natsko. Iruka and Kakashi talked of business and the boys drifted from one conversation to the next, sometimes playing with the kids when no one was looking.

Every time Kiki's eyes met Iruka's she blushed, unknown to Natsko; though the blind Jonin was not completely unaware of her friend's peculiar behavior. "Is everything all right?" She asked after Kiki had turned her head suddenly for the fifth time in the past hour.

"Everything's fine." She lied quickly.

Across the room, Iruka was telling the same lie, for the same reason, to Kakashi. "I just flinched, that's all."

"Nobody flinches for no reason. Especially five times in an hour. Go talk to her." Kakashi put a hand firmly in-between Iruka's shoulder blades and shoved.

Natsko suddenly had a keen interest in Sakura, leaving Kiki and Iruka to talk by themselves. After dragging the girl away from them, she sat down in a kitchen chair and breathed heavily.

Kakashi was by her side in an instant. "Are you ok?" He asked, worry creeping though every word.

"I'm fine, just a little tired, that's all." She put a hand over her baby and smiled. "The baby's asleep, so you don't need to worry."

Sakura looked at Natsko with a curious stare. "How can you tell the baby is asleep?"

Kakashi sat down next to his wife and placed his hand on hers. "She can see the baby the same way she sees you or me. It makes me a little jealous."

Natsko hadn't told anyone about this odd trick of hers. It didn't seem like it needed explaining. But this was the first time she heard Kakashi say it made him jealous. It seemed absurd to her that he would be jealous of her blindness.

"Can I try?" Sakura asked excitedly. Natsko was training her to see chakra so it was only natural that the girl would want practice.

"Close your eyes and look for it." She waited while Sakura attempted to find her baby. She watched it herself, noticing that it was beginning to respond to the familiar voices around it. She also noticed that the baby was waking up. Kakashi noticed too when he felt a foot press against his hand.

"I think I see it!" Sakura exclaimed happily. "Did the baby just move a foot?"

"Yes." Kakashi and Natsko replied in unison. Natsko felt a wave of contentment sweep over her. She was surrounded by friends, soon to have a baby with a man she genuinely loved.

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Natsko lay in Kakashi's arms; her head cradled under his. Her body was drained of energy, and in her arms was the perfect baby that was their daughter. "She's so beautiful." Kakashi told her quietly.

"I knew we could do it." Her breath was labored and she was so tired. The hours of labor now seemed worth it, seeing her baby girl. The little bundle was covered in white-grey hair, and her fingers and toes squirmed in contentment.

"What should we name her?" Kakashi ran a finger over his baby girl's head.

"Kichi" Natsko mumbled before nodding off to sleep in his arms. He disentangled himself from her and gently took the baby from her arms and let her sleep. He walked back and forth across the bedroom, talking to his daughter.

"Your mommy is smart, that's the perfect name for you. You are "fortunate", and so are we for having you. Someday, I'll tell you all about how your mommy grew up as a ninja and how she was the bravest person I know for marrying someone she had never met. I'll tell you all about how she faced her fears and how she had you when everyone told her not to." He gently laid the now-sleeping baby down in the bed with her mother.

A sigh of relief escaped him as he watched the mother and daughter sleeping peacefully. He had never been so scared of losing someone in his life. No mission or assignment could ever bring him close to the fear he felt when he heard that his wife might die from childbirth. The paralyzing helplessness he felt while watching her suffer through the pain caused him endless torture.

But it was all over now, she made it, and so did the baby. His baby. Kichi.

* * *

A/N: YES, it is possible for a leg injury to cause fatality in childbirth. The thigh muscles are some of the most crucial muscles when it comes to having children, and since her's were dammaged, she was already weakened in the first place. The strain would cause excruciating pain, which would cause shock, which causes death. Poor poor Natsko...

Please Review! Let me know if you want a sequel. Well... scratch that... let me know AFTER you read the epilogue...


	11. Epilogue: Those Who Loved

I can't stand it! I hate you all! You are all so nice to me in the reviews, and I plan on doing this to you! I feel so mean and awful!

I guess I can't be too upset. I should have seen this coming. See, I was planing on doing this (the content of this epilogue) since I started writing this story. It was always in the plans, but never really hinted at until the end.

I hope you all still like me, (and this story) by the end of this epilogue.

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Epilogue

"Those Who Loved…"

Kakashi held his newborn son in his arms while his daughter grasped at his pant-leg. "Daddy?" She looked up at him pleadingly. "Where's Mommy?" Her black eyes searched his imploringly. She looked exactly like her father with her white hair and dark eyes.

"She's gone." He choked on the words, not wanting to believe them. "Mommy isn't here anymore." His eyes began to water at the thought.

The baby boy began to cry and Kakashi rocked back and forth trying to comfort him. "Maybe you should tell him the princess story." Kichi suggested. "I always feel better when Mommy tells it to me."

Kakashi sat down in the nearest chair. He was in a hospital waiting room and he watched the nurses going in and out, back and forth, giving good news and bad to all around him. _Why? _He thought. _Why did it have to be her? Why so soon? Why couldn't we have had a few more years? _He looked into the eyes of his four year old daughter and his newborn son and thanked whoever he could think of for their existence.

How was it that life could give her to him and take her away so quickly? He thought back to when he first married her and how all he wanted was a friend, what became of that? He looked over at a man across the room who was sitting alone.

The man spoke softly but Kakashi knew the words were meant for him. "I envy you. You loved."

"Daddy?" Kichi questioned again, probing into his grief. "What's the baby's name?"

He looked down at the whimpering bundle in his arms. His son had chocolate brown hair, and as he watched him only one name seemed appropriate. "Nat."

"I think Nat wants to hear about the princess." Kichi insisted. She jumped up into the chair beside her father and leaned her head against his arm.

"Ok." Kakashi relented. "Once upon a time, there were a king and queen who had a beautiful baby daughter…"

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Ok, I CRIED when I wrote this. Honestly, Natsko was one of my favorite characters I have ever written. But all good things must come to an end. I wanted her to be human to the utmost. If she got over her injury and lived through having more than one kid, then it would just be too... unrealistic. Don't get me wrong, I love writing the far-fetched plots, just try reading "Time and Eternity". I just felt that with Natsko and Kakashi, things should be as real as possible. That being said, I hope you don't hate me too much for this.

I would like to dedicate this story to Grace, who requires three things out of a good plot: Blood, Death and Pregnancy. Not necessarily in that order.

Thanks to all my reviewers! I would list you, but there are more of you than I thought there would be! You are all special and I love that you lasted this long. What am I saying? I love YOU! I give you all cookies for your awesomeness!


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